


Centaur AU

by KieraElieson



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Centaur AU, Centaurs are not treated very well, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Remy and Emile are mentioned, Thomas is very soft, ambiguous time period, not quite modern
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:27:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26384869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KieraElieson/pseuds/KieraElieson
Summary: Thomas is hired as a centaur groom very abruptly, and is just a little bit lost, but trying his best.However, when you think of centaurs more as people with animal-like bodies, and everyone else thinks of them as animals with human-like bodies, disagreements are bound to come up.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil & Creativity | Roman & Logic | Logan & Morality | Patton & Thomas Sanders, Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Logic | Logan Sanders
Comments: 226
Kudos: 307





	1. Day One

**Author's Note:**

> I did not intend to copy any other centaur AUs, but I’ve read many of them, and certain golden ideas stick in my brain. (Like massive Logan. Golden. Idea.)

It was a bewilderingly fast process. One of Thomas’s friends had suggested it to both him and to the other people, and Thomas had been a bit distracted by the party, which was already  _ way  _ fancier than anything he usually went to, and the people, who looked like even this kind of party was beneath them, and he’d missed most of the details. He had a job now. A very, very well-paying job. As a… groom? A centaur groom?

At least he sort of knew what he was doing. He had two centaurs already, which was why he needed a job. Centaurs were  _ not  _ cheap to house and feed and care for. Not if you were doing it properly, anyway. 

Remy and Emile had said that they were fine with being home alone most of the time, and really, with the way he’d set things up, they took care of themselves mostly, and he just hung around as a friend. 

“Thomas! Welcome!” A lady he only barely recognized greeted him. She was riding on a horse, and he could tell her outfit must have cost several thousand dollars. 

“Good morning!” He said, and then caught a glimpse behind her of a far off mansion. 

“You’re in the wrong place. The centaur stables are way over that way.” She said, pointing off in another direction. 

“Oh. Ok. Thanks!”

“You’re very welcome. I hope you do well here. All of the other grooms we’ve hired were either lazy, or just couldn’t handle the centaurs. One of them is even getting to be rather violent.”

Thomas nodded, very concerned about what might have happened. What had he gotten himself into?

“Well, good luck, Thomas. I’m sure I’ll see you again soon.”

She rode off, and Thomas finally managed to make it to the stables. There were at least six of them, and he had to peek into each one before he finally found the smallest one, which was still rather large, in which were the centaurs. 

They were quiet, seeming to all mind their own business. He looked around, and caught sight of a paper with his name on it. 

_ Thomas.  _

_ Thank you again for accepting the job, we hope you do well here. There is a schedule on the wall showing when events have been planned that the centaurs will need to be ready for. There is a closet full of supplies, hay in the loft, and the vet’s phone number is posted beside the phone. Anything else you may need, do not hesitate to tell us.  _

_ P.S. The little black one is rather violent. Precautions have been taken, but please be careful. If you can’t manage to calm him, be assured we do not fault you for it, and will sell him.  _

Well that was… concerning. 

He looked out over the stalls. It seemed that four of the eight were filled. Two were closed entirely, but the other two had the tops of the door open, and the centaurs were peeking out at him curiously. 

He waved a little awkwardly. “Hi, there. I’m Thomas, I was hired as a groom.”

One of the centaurs waved back with a little smile, but the other frowned, and backed into their stall. It was strange that they hadn’t said anything yet. Maybe the other two were asleep though, and they were trying not to bother them. 

Still, he decided to approach the one that had smiled first. He was a bit small for a centaur, probably a pony, not a horse, and was a pretty dappled grey color. He had a light blue shirt on his human half, and a pair of round glasses. 

Thomas held out his hand, and made sure to talk quietly. “Hi.”

There was a bit of hesitation, but then he smiled and shook Thomas’s hand. Thomas had really been hoping for an introduction, but maybe he’d have to take the lead on more things with these centaurs than with Remy and Emile. 

“My name is Thomas Sanders. What’s yours?”

The centaur suddenly looked quite conflicted. “Um… which one?” 

Thomas was very concerned by how rusty his voice sounded, as if he didn’t speak often. His question, though, unfortunately, Thomas understood right away. Some people  _ did  _ change their centaurs' names, and it was sadly not only a legal, but a common practice. 

“Whichever name you’d like me to call you.”

The conflicted look didn’t go away, but he finally said, very hesitantly, “Patton?”

Thomas smiled. “It’s nice to meet you, Patton. Do you mind if I come in?”

Patton smiled, waving him in. 

Thomas tried to open the stall door, but there was not only a lock on it, but a lock that needed a key. He frowned down at the lock. “Do you know where I’d find a key?”

“It’s in the supply closet,” a grumpy voice from behind him said. 

The centaur there was frowning, his arms crossed over his chest, and very pointedly  _ not  _ looking at Thomas. 

“Thank you,” Thomas said, smiling even though he wasn’t looking. 

And soon he had a whole key ring, trying to figure out which was the right key, and where on earth all of the others went. 

“There we go!” He said happily when he finally got the door open. “Now when’s the last time you’ve had a good brushing down?”

Patton’s eyes lit up, and he shuffled a bit happily. “Nearly a week.”

“Nearly a week?” Thomas said, clicking his tongue and speaking in a more exaggerated way, hoping to lighten up the tension. “Now that will  _ not  _ do.”

He found a good brush and went into Patton’s stall. Patton stepped to the side to give him plenty of room, and Thomas patted his side before starting to brush. 

Patton’s coat had oddly dirty patches, where it was almost sticky, and caught in the brush, making him flinch. 

“Sorry, sorry. This is going to need some water.”

At the mention of water, Patton shivered, but didn’t say anything. 

It took Thomas a bit of time to find a bucket and a sponge, and longer to find a way to warm up the water, but eventually he made it back. 

“Thanks for being so patient,” he said, just patting Patton’s side, since he seemed to be a bit nervous. “I don’t know where things are quite yet. Do you know what these sticky patches are from?”

Patton nodded, stiffening and looking straight ahead, his hands curling into loose fists. “Little kids pet me a lot, and they don’t always have clean hands.”

Thomas nodded, but when Patton nearly startled when he dropped the sponge into the bucket, he realized something was more wrong than just nervousness. 

“Are you alright, Patton?”

Patton nodded. 

“Are you sure? If something’s wrong, you just have to tell me.”

Patton turned to look at him again, distrust and hope both shining in his eyes. He hung his head, hunching his shoulders a bit. “I don’t want to have water dumped on me.”

Thomas’s chest tightened immediately, and he tried to keep his face only calm and soft, but it was hard with the sudden anger blooming in his stomach. “Patton, I wouldn’t want that either. I was going to wet the sponge, and squeeze it mostly out, and then use it to clean these sticky patches. Would you be ok with that?”

The relief that rushed over Patton was very apparent. “That’d be ok. Thank you, Thomas.”

Thomas managed a smile. “It’s my job to take care of you guys. If you need or want anything, or don’t want something, you just have to tell me, ok?”

Patton nodded. 

He still flinched and shivered when the water splashed in the bucket, but soon he was relaxing under Thomas’s touch, and just standing comfortably still and quiet while Thomas cleaned his coat and brushed through his tail. 

“Let me find the hoof pick, and I’ll be back.”

There was a bit of whispering Thomas could hear as he searched the closet, but he didn’t try to listen in. 

He went back out, and the whispering stopped immediately. He pretended as if he hadn’t known it was going on at all, and just started cleaning Patton’s hooves. 

Poor Patton had more than one piece of gravel stuck in his hooves, and Thomas was very glad that there didn’t look to be any larger problems. It seemed that no one had cared for them since the last groom had left, but they’d still gone to do whatever it was they did. 

“Alright. There’s that. Feel any better?”

Patton beamed at him, and Thomas nearly glowed. 

“If you would just go stand in a different stall for a little bit, I’ll clean yours out and then you can come back.”

“You want me to just… go?”

Thomas frowned slightly. “Do you need help?”

“No, just, you aren’t worried I’ll run away?”

“I didn’t think I had to be. Would you?”

Patton shook his head, but a quick glance towards the other centaur gave Thomas all the warning he needed that that one might. 

“No, I’m not worried. Please don’t, just head over and wait in the empty stall, and I’ll have yours ready as soon as I can.”

Patton nodded and walked very calmly into the empty stall beside the other centaur, leaning over the half wall between them. Thomas hoped that they were friends. A centaur fight was  _ not  _ something he was equipped to deal with. 

He cleaned out Patton’s stall as quickly as he could, filling it with clean straw and changing the pad on the bed. 

For centaurs, a bed was basically a slanted projection on the wall with a soft pad on it, so the horse half could stand and the human half could have something to lay against. They could also lay all the way down, but mostly they preferred sleeping standing up. 

“There. I think it’s all ready. Is there anything else you might need?” Thomas asked. 

Patton shook his head happily. “Thank you, Thomas! This is so much better.”

Thomas smiled, feeling just a little tired, but very proud. Now just three left. 

He went to the next open stall, but the centaur frowned. “No. Help him first.” He said, pointing to the stall beside him that was closed. 

“Is he not sleeping?” Thomas asked. 

The centaur scoffed. “He’ll sleep  _ better  _ if you help him first.”

Thomas looked back at Patton, who nodded firmly. 

“Ok, then.” He knocked on the door gently. “I’m going to open the door, ok?”

There was a loud rustle and heavy breaths, as if the centaur had been laying down and had stood up. 

Thomas opened the top half of the door, and was more than a little surprised to see that this one was  _ huge.  _ Thomas only reached up to his shoulder, and not the human one. He also looked utterly exhausted, blinking slowly and slumped over. His coat was thick and long, and looked as if he’d sweated heavily and not been cleaned several times.

Thomas considered for a few seconds before holding out his hand. “My name is Thomas.”

A spark of something flickered through the centaur’s eyes before he grasped Thomas’s hand, despite having to lean down to do so. “Logan. I hope I will be glad to have met you.”

“So do I.” Thomas fished around on his key ring. “You seem like you could really use a nap, so I’m wondering, if I set up the bed in one of the empty stalls, you could lay on it while I clean your coat. I’ll probably have to use a good bit of water, so it may not be relaxing enough for you to sleep, but if you don’t mind.”

Logan shook his head. “I do not mind. It would be a relief.”

Thomas quickly got a stool and changed the pad on the bed, as well as pulling it up higher to Logan’s height. 

Logan very slowly walked into the empty stall and leaned against the bed, closing his eyes. 

Thomas went and started warming water. It wasn’t awfully cold out, but no one wanted cold water poured over them. 

When he got back Logan was breathing slowly and deeply. Was he asleep? Thomas didn’t want to startle him awake. He set a hand on Logan’s rump, pushing gently. Logan didn’t move or respond in any way. 

“Alright, I’m going to put some water on you now.” 

There was a small grunt of acknowledgement, but nothing else, even as Thomas started pouring spongefulls of lukewarm water over his sides and back. 

He tried to work gently, and repetitively, so that no new movement would be unexpected or startling, and it seemed to work. Even moving a stool all around Logan didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest. 

Once Logan was good and wet he found some shampoo and started working it carefully into the long hair of his coat. But while it mostly lathered up normally, there were some places, especially around his shoulders and rump, where it lathered in a rather brownish-orange way, as if there was blood. 

Again that anger bloomed in his stomach, but he didn’t say anything, just washing as carefully and thoroughly as he could. It took quite a long time, but finally Logan was clean, and Thomas started drying him off. The drying probably took at least time and a half as long as the washing had, but it was certainly worth it. 

And then Thomas went back to the supply closet, finding an antiseptic ointment and carefully searching Logan’s coat, finding a number of welts hidden beneath the long hair. The anger welled up higher, but he chose to ignore it. It wouldn’t help them. Kindness and gentleness would help them. The only place the anger would help was if he managed to direct it at the right people. 

He put a sheet over Logan that would absorb any remaining moisture, and roused him just enough so that he lifted his hooves to be cleaned. Then he left him to sleep while he cleaned out Logan’s stall. 

Logan’s stall had clearly not been cleaned in longer than Patton’s. Perhaps because he was larger people wanted to go near him less. But his bed in particular stank. Thomas didn’t blame him for wanting to lay down instead of sleep on it. 

When the stall was completely clean he woke Logan up, offering him a washcloth and a towel to clean his human half, and then letting him into his stall. Logan went right back to sleep. 

Thomas wasn’t sure what had him so exhausted, but he hoped that when he looked on the schedule he’d see that Logan had a few days free. But he worried that that would not be the case. 

Thomas sat down for a few minutes. Clearly these centaurs hadn’t been treated very well. He was worried, when he opened that last stall, what he might find had happened. But he had a bit of time yet. There was still another centaur before that. 

He pulled himself to his feet, managing a smile and holding out his hand. “Hi, I’m Thomas.”

The centaur looked much less grumpy now, and shook Thomas’s hand. “My name’s Roman.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Thomas said, fishing around the key ring. 

“Yeah…” Roman looked down. “Thanks for being nice so far.”

And that hurt for some reason. Certainly, he’d tried to be considerate and kind, but this was really only a little above the minimum of care anyone should take. 

“Roman, I’m very, very sorry that people have mistreated you all so much.” Thomas said sincerely. 

Roman looked rather stunned, but nodded. And then shrugged. “Well, you haven’t met the anxious nightmare yet. He tends to change everyone’s mind.”

Thomas pursed his lips. Truly, he was concerned. A well placed kick from a violent centaur could send him to the hospital for a long time. But that didn’t mean he was going to be unkind, or change his mind about the others because of it. 

“We’ll see. Do you mind if I come in?”

“Go ahead,” Roman said. “I’m more of a show horse, so someone’s been coming out to keep me clean. I don’t need as much.”

“Well you certainly are beautiful enough for it. Or would you rather I said handsome?”

Roman blushed, and tried rather unsuccessfully to hide a smile. “E-either one’s fine.”

Roman really was beautiful. Unlike the other two, he did not have a shirt for his human half, and was rather muscular. His coat was a bright, reddish brown, and almost flawlessly shiny. He had rather long hair too, easily down to his shoulders, and wavy curly. 

“If you want to go into an empty stall, I’ll clean yours out. And you don’t seem to really  _ need  _ it, but I can brush you anyway. I’ve been told it’s quite pleasant.”

Roman looked like Thomas was offering him a plate full of chocolate and a fancy coffee. He nodded, and walked easily into the other stall, without a hint of the running away that Patton had seemed to be worried about earlier. 

Thomas cleaned out the stall and the bed, and then found a good brush and brushed Roman’s coat until it became even more shiny and bright. 

“If you want, I could braid your tail too.”

Roman’s eyes practically sparkled. “You would?”

Thomas nodded. 

“Yes, please.” Roman shifted excitedly. 

While Thomas was working on it, Patton piped up, though still rather quietly, “Would you do mine too?”

“Of course,” Thomas said cheerfully, glad to do something that would make them happier. 

He braided Patton’s tail, and when he was done looked over to see Roman braiding his hair, and struggling with tying it off on its own. 

“Do you want me to find a hair tie?”

Roman nodded, a smile playing on his lips. 

Thomas found one more quickly than he would have guessed, and handed it to Roman. 

“There. How do I look?” 

Thomas grinned. “Amazingly handsome.”

Roman beamed, especially as Patton clapped. 

Thomas suddenly had a thought. “I’ll bet it’s a bit boring in here for the two of you. Do you know how to get to the centaur paddock? You can hang out there while I help the last one.”

They both stared at him as if he’d grown horns. 

“What?”

“You want to take us out to the paddock… and then leave us there?” Patton asked. 

“Oh. Well, no, I didn’t think that you’d need me to hang around, it can wait until I can stay with you if you want.”

Roman’s mouth dropped open. “You are  _ way  _ too naive, dude.”

Thomas frowned a bit at that. “What? My centaurs spend most of the day out there together. Unless there’s snakes out here or something, I don’t see what the problem is.”

“You have centaurs?” Patton asked. 

Thomas nodded. “I had a great aunt that bought them a few years before she died, and gave them to me as a part of my inheritance.”

“How do you… what do they do?” Roman asked. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’m a show centaur, for competitions, Patton’s for parties and little kids, Logan does… other kinds of competitions. What do yours do?”

“And what are their names?” Patton asked. 

“Their names are Remy and Emile, and they don’t really do all that much? I mean, I try to give them things if they’re bored, but they aren’t really interested in competitions or anything. They race each other a lot, though Remy almost always wins.” Thomas chuckled, missing them just a little, though he knew he’d see them in the evening. 

Roman shook his head with a slight smile. “You’re a strange human, Thomas.”

Thomas shrugged, grinning. “I’ve been told that before. So after I help that last one, paddock?”

Patton nodded eagerly. “That’d be great!”

Roman also nodded, but more soberly. “Good luck.”

Thomas nodded, also sobering. He knocked gently on the last stall door before trying to figure out which key it was. As soon as he had the door unlocked, and started to open it, it was shoved from the inside, slamming into his head so hard it knocked him down. 

“Owwwww…”

“I-if you— if you  _ touch  _ me I’ll kick you!” An angry, quavering voice said. 

Thomas looked up, and immediately 90% of his worry for himself switched to worry for the poor centaur. 

There was a harness on him that held his arms folded close to his chest, and several more half-done harnesses dangling off of him. From the way he was standing Thomas guessed he was hobbled too. Anger glowed fiercely in his eyes as he glared down at Thomas, but his sides were quivering. 

A soft “ohhhh,” slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. 

The centaur bared his teeth and hissed, but all Thomas could think about was that he wanted to untie him and take him away somewhere where no one would ever make him afraid again. 

Thomas very slowly got to his feet, holding his hands up where the centaur could see them clearly. “It’s alright. If you want me not to touch you then I won’t.”

Clearly some of that got through, but there was still intense anger and distrust. 

“I’m going to just let you out of there and into another stall, ok? Just to let me clean your stall. If you walk gently I won’t have to touch you at all, and if I don’t have to I won’t, ok?”

Not a single bit of the anger and caution waned, but he nodded. Thomas hoped above everything that he wouldn’t try to run. Wrestling an angry, scared centaur was the  _ last  _ thing he wanted to do, and trying to run with hobbles on would probably only hurt him. 

“Ok. I’m going to open the stall next to yours first. It’s not the cleanest, but it’s mostly just dusty. Let me find the key, and, it’s open now. Next I’m going to open your door. I’m looking for the right key, and here, no, that isn’t it. Here. Now I’m going to unlatch and open it. Please don’t try to knock me over again. I’m not going to touch you. Just walk into the next stall. There’s the door open, and I’ll take a step back. You can just walk on your own.”

Thomas really hoped that the soft, constant talk worked as well on centaurs as it did on horses, and that this one wasn’t insulted or anything. The centaur took a step forward, never looking away from him, and another small step. He was hobbled, both on his front legs and on his back, and he kept nearly startling just from trying to move forward. 

“There you go. That’s good. Thank you. Just a little farther and you’re there. Alright, I’m following you now, but I’m not coming in. I’m just going to shut the door. Alright. It’s shut now, and I’m going to go clean out your stall. Thank you very much for being so calm and willing.”

The centaur just glared. 

Thomas retreated, getting the wheelbarrow and the pitchfork. 

This stall was even more disgusting than Logan’s had been, by a large amount. And he had almost no doubt that the centaur  _ very  _ much needed a good wash. A good wash that he would probably not get to give. Not today at least. But he could clean the stall, and then wash it, because it very much needed it. Even the wood beneath the bed pad needed sanitizing, and also lowering. He wasn’t sure how the poor centaur was resting at all with it up so high. 

But finally it was all clean and fresh and comfortable again. 

He looked over into the next stall, and the centaur quickly backed up as far as he could. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” Thomas said. “Your stall is ready to go back into. If you let me touch you, I can take those harnesses off before you go back.” 

The centaur seemed to think about it for a second, before shaking his head quickly. 

Thomas nodded slowly. “That’s perfectly fine. I won’t touch you. I’ll open this door, and back up, and then you can walk into your own stall.”

It was another slow process with many soft murmured encouragements, but he made it back into his stall without any more problems. 

Thomas closed the door and leaned on it. “I’ll bet it’s difficult to eat, all trussed up like that.”

The centaur’s glare, which had been fading, came back in full force. 

“Hey, it’s alright. Still not touching you. You just did well. I’d like to reward you. But all I could think of was edible treats, and I’m not sure how to give you one.”

He motioned slightly with his head towards the shelf where food for the human half was normally put. “Just put it there like normal.” 

Thomas nodded, and went to grab the swiss rolls he’d brought for a snack. He unwrapped them and set them down on top of the wrapper, and then walked away. It was almost always rude to stare while people were eating. But he heard the rustle of the plastic as he was cleaning some things up, and when he glanced quickly as he walked by, he saw that they were both gone. 

He gave it some time and then went back to the stall, leaning on the door again. “If Patton doesn’t mind, would you allow him to touch you?”

“Why?” the centaur asked harshly. 

“I’d really, really like to get those harnesses off of you.”

“If they’re off I can hit you. And I can try to open the door. And I  _ will  _ kick. Don’t think I won’t.”

Thomas rubbed the lump on his head. “Oh, I don’t doubt it. But I’m hoping you’ll give me a little chance and a little warning. I don’t  _ want  _ to do things that make you angry at me.”

The centaur still just glared for a long few seconds. “Fine. If Patton wants to.”

“I don’t mind!” Patton piped up immediately. 

Thomas opened Patton’s door for him, and then the other centaur’s. Patton was reasonably calm and smooth, and was careful to say where he was touching and why before he did it. It was a little more difficult for him to get to the hobbles, since he had to kneel to reach them, but he was still very willing to help. 

It was interesting, that even though he was a pony, he was only a little smaller than the other centaur. Though he looked like he’d been nearly starved, with how visible his ribs were, so it was possible that his growth had been stunted. 

Patton finally handed Thomas the last hobble, and stood back up. The other centaur was rubbing at marks where the harnesses had been way too tight for way too long. 

“Would you like some medicine for those?” Thomas asked, not expecting the nod he got. 

He grabbed the tube of medicine and held it out to the centaur. 

“I can help get some of the spots on your back if you want,” Patton offered. 

With Patton’s help, soon the red marks were all coated in a thin layer of cream. Then Patton backed out of the stall and walked back to his own. 

Thomas smiled and held out his hand only halfway, in hopes that it wouldn’t be interpreted as a forceful or threatening gesture. “My name is Thomas, it’s been nice to meet you.”

The centaur scoffed, turning away from him. 

Thomas shrugged. “Well, you can say no, and I’ll respect that, but before I leave, would you like me to brush you down?”

The centaur shook his head immediately. 

“Alright. Would you like the top door open or closed while I’m gone?”

For a minute, he thought he wouldn’t get an answer, but then there was a sullen, “closed.”

So Thomas closed both doors and latched them. 

“Alright. Roman and Patton, I believe I promised I’d take you out to the paddock.”

Both of them looked excited immediately.

Roman pointed over to the wall. “The halters are over there.” And when Thomas frowned in confusion, he shrugged. “We should probably at least keep up appearances.”

Thomas grinned. “Someday, when we’ve kept up appearances enough, we’re going to go out there and you two will be as free as you like, and they’ll all think I’m some kind of centaur whisperer, won’t they?”

Roman chuckled. “Something like that.”

Thomas pulled down the halters, and then had another thought. “Do you want a shirt? It’s fine if you don’t, but if you do.”

Roman nodded. “Yes, please.”

“Oh, oh, can I have the grey cardigan?” Patton asked. “They’re all in the same box.”

“He’s… not supposed…” Roman said hesitantly, and Patton looked downright hurt. 

“What’s the matter, of course I can give him the cardigan.” Thomas said. 

Roman frowned, looking down. “It’s… cause Patton talked… it’s one of the rules… sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

Thomas crossed his arms across his chest and frowned at them both. “I don’t know anything about those kind of rules. Unless I’m told I have to do it to keep this job, I’m not following rules a different groom set. Patton may talk as much as he likes.”

The hope shining in both of their faces, so clouded by worry, nearly broke Thomas’s heart. 

He found the box and pulled out a red shirt and found the grey cardigan, giving them to Roman and Patton. He felt almost wrong, walking out of there holding onto two ropes, but it was all better when they reached the paddock and he was able to unclip them and just hold empty strings in his hand while the two of them had fun. 

Roman was running all around, a grin blooming into a bright smile. And Patton dropped to the ground, rolling over and over in the thick grass. 

Thomas was very happy to let them stay until it was getting close to time for him to head home. He brushed the grass and leaves off of them and led them back to the stable, and then got dinner for all four of them. 

“You went to the paddock?” Logan was asking as he entered the room. 

“Oh, hello, Logan! Feeling any better?”

“Yes, considerably. Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. Now, before I leave, I should probably check the schedule.”

Thomas looked at it, and frowned. “It says that… I’m guessing this is Patton, has a party tomorrow.”

Patton nodded. 

“Do I have to take you there, or does someone come get you? Do you know?”

“Usually someone comes to get me.” Patton said, slowly getting more subdued. 

Thomas nodded, and looked back at the schedule. “I think Roman has something not tomorrow, but the next day. Some kind of competition.”

“Oh, yes I do! That would be the dressage competition in Osceola.”

Thomas nodded. “If you know what to do to get ready for that, I’ll try to help you get ready.”

He looked back at the calendar. “And Logan has… I’m sorry, I can’t read this handwriting very well.”

“I’m already aware of my schedule, but thank you, Thomas.”

Thomas looked at Logan’s schedule, and found that this was one of only five days off for the month. “Surely this can’t be right. I’m going to talk with the owners about this schedule, to make sure it’s all correct. They shouldn’t make you work so much, Logan.”

Logan had a kind of distant surprise on his face, but it got squashed pretty quickly by whatever he was thinking about. “Thank you.”

And then it was time to go home. “Do any of you need anything else before I go?”

Logan and Roman shook their heads, but Patton looked like he might want to say something, so Thomas waited for him. 

“Can I hug you?”

“Of course you can.” Thomas reached up to hug Patton.

“You’re just the nicest person I’ve met in a really long time!” Patton said, his voice sounding kind of teary. “And I’m so glad it was you that got hired!”

Thomas patted his back gently. “I’m glad too. I don’t think there’s any job I could like better than this one.”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. The Second Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No longer a one-shot! XD

Thomas was immediately concerned when he heard the commotion from a distance. Yelling, and loud thumps, and it certainly seemed to be coming from the centaur stable. 

He hurried to get there, opening the door to find that it was very much one of the centaurs. 

“Thomas! Help!” Patton said, looking very concerned. 

Roman was pressed into the back of his stall, very pale and silent. 

Logan was gone entirely, his stall left open. 

And the last centaur let out a shriek, and there was a loud bang and a cracking sound as he kicked against the door. 

“What happened?!” Thomas asked. 

“The person who came to get Logan threw something into his stall,” Patton said. 

“Get! It! Off!” The centaur shrieked again, and then there was a rustling, and a whole round of kicks against the door and walls. 

“I can’t get him to calm down, and he’s going to hurt himself!” Patton said, wrapping his arms tight across his chest. 

Thomas carefully went to the stall and ducked down, reaching up just his hand to unlatch the top door and open it. As soon as it was open, a hoof flew over his head, proving that he was right to have ducked. 

“Hey, hey, I need you to calm down just a bit. Just a little, ok?”

“ _ Get it off! _ ” The centaur yelled, and he spun around where Thomas could see his face, white and panic-stricken. 

“I want to. I want to get it off. I want to help you. But I can’t if you don’t let me. It’s ok. I’ll help you. Just stand still for me, ok?”

He held still, his flanks heaving and trembling, but he wasn’t kicking anymore. 

“Alright, I’m gonna stand up, and I’ll move really slowly. You don’t have to do anything, just let me open the door. It’s unlocked now, I’m going to swing it open. Just really slowly, you don’t have to be scared. I’m just moving slowly.”

The door was open now, and he hadn’t moved yet other than almost violent trembling. Around one ankle was tangled a plastic bag, which Thomas suspected was the problem. 

“Alright, I see the bag. Is that what you want me to get off?”

He nodded sharply, and his front half bobbed up a bit. He scrunched his face up, digging his fingers into his arms as the bag shifted and rustled. 

“I’ll get it. I’ll get off. But you have to not kick me, ok?”

Again he nodded. 

“I’m walking closer to you, and I’m going to touch your shoulder. I’ll slide my hand down your leg so you know exactly where I am. You can lift your foot and I’ll get it off.” He reached the centaur, and set his hand on his shoulder. 

The centaur flinched, shying away, and then trying to suppress another kicking spree as the bag moved again. 

“It’s alright, it’s alright. You’re doing well. You’ll be ok. Let’s try one more time. I’ll touch your shoulder, and then move down and get the bag. You’re doing very well. I’m very pleased with how you’re standing still.” Thomas set a hand against his shoulder, but didn’t stop talking. “This isn’t a very fun time, but you’re doing so well. It’ll all be over in a minute. We’re almost there. Just lift your foot for me. There. There, it’s off now.”

Thomas shoved the bag into his pocket and stood back up slowly. He set his hand back on the centaur’s shoulder, pressing against it gently, but firmly, and stroking carefully. 

“You did very well. I’m proud of you. You did so well standing still. It was very good.”

The poor centaur was still trembling all over, his breath whooshing in and out in heavy gusts. His coat was very damp with sweat, and if it dried like that it’d be uncomfortable to him. But first he needed to calm down. 

“Can you tell me something? Can you tell me something you see?” Thomas asked gently, stepping back to give him some space. 

“H-hay.”

“Good. Well done. What’s something you can hear?”

“You.”

“That would make sense. What about something you can smell?”

“Umm…” It took him a few seconds, but Thomas could see his shivering start to calm as he focused on the different sense. “There’s the soap smell.”

Thomas couldn’t smell anything like soap, but he nodded. “That’s good. What about something you can feel?”

The centaur stamped his foot, and Thomas was glad he’d backed up. “It still— it’s gone but I feel it.”

“It’s alright. It’ll go away eventually. You’re doing well. Is there anything you can taste?”

The centaur shook his head, but then said anyway, “it’s bitter.”

“Very good. Thank you. Do you feel a bit better?”

He nodded, but the grip on his arms didn’t relax, and he wasn’t looking at Thomas. 

“Unless you’d really rather not, I think you’d be more comfortable if I brushed you down.”

The centaur stepped away from him, pressing against the other wall. But he didn’t say no immediately, just stayed there, and finally asked. “With what?”

Thomas almost dreaded to know what could possibly have been used on him before to get that kind of reaction. “Is there a brush you prefer? I’ll use whichever one you pick.”

That seemed to really get his attention, and he stared at Thomas, ‘why would you do that?’ written plainly on his face. 

But he still looked away to answer. “There’s a purple one…”

Thomas nodded readily. “I’ll go find it then.” 

He carefully walked out of the stall and went to find the brush. Patton mouthed a ‘thank you’ as he walked past, and Thomas gave him a quick little nod. The purple brush was finally found buried under a whole pile of other stuff, and Thomas decided that as soon as he had a good hour or two he was going to reorganize everything so he could find things more easily. The brush was a very, very soft one, and probably wouldn’t be the most effective for cleaning without water, but at this point in time, trust was better than clean. 

By the time he got back, it was clear that the centaur was very nervous again. 

“Can I come in?” Thomas asked, holding up the brush and his empty other hand to prove that he was coming in peace, and as asked. 

The centaur frowned, and didn’t answer for a long few seconds. “If you try to hit me I  _ will _ take out your kneecaps.”

Instead of focusing on the fact that people had clearly been hitting the centaur, Thomas chuckled slightly. “Well, I’m pretty attached to my kneecaps. I think I’ll try to keep them.”

The centaur moved a little, into the center of the stall. “Alright.”

Thomas very slowly opened the door, and walked very, very slowly over to the centaur. His arm moved in very slow increments before the brush ever touched the centaur, and he could feel his stare boring into him the entire time. Despite all this, he still flinched when the brush touched him. But Thomas just very carefully started brushing. Slow, and smooth, and very gently. 

The centaur never once looked away from him, but he gradually calmed, even starting to relax. Until someone opened the stable door and he stiffened immediately, eyes going wide. 

Thomas was done anyway, just still trying to help him be calm and comfortable, so he walked out of the stall and shut the door. The other person was going straight to Patton’s stall with a halter, opening the door quickly. 

“Excuse me,” Thomas said, letting some bite into his voice. “What are you doing?”

“I need him for the party,” the man replied curtly, throwing the halter over Patton while Patton gave a little, quiet frown. 

“He hasn’t eaten yet, and you can’t just take him.” Thomas said, torn between the knowledge that he  _ needed  _ to do what he had, and also the wish that he’d fed them first. 

“Look, man, the schedule is on the wall, you should feed them on time. It can’t wait, I’m taking him.”

He shoved the door open and it banged against the wall, startling the other centaur. 

“You can’t just come in here—“ 

“Thomas.” Patton said, very quietly, but the man yanked on the halter, glaring intensely at him. 

“You had  _ better _ not be doing that by the time we get there.”

Patton wilted, nodding silently, and let himself be let out. 

Thomas didn’t trust a single word out of his mouth not to be far too loud and disgusting to be said in the situation, and he held himself back, absolutely seething. 

For the next several, long minutes, there was not a single word said, and no one moved. 

“I’m sorry.” Thomas said, his words coming out clipped. “I’m very angry right now. I’m going to get you both some breakfast, and then I’m going to organize the supply closet and calm down.” 

It was a very solid hour later that the closet was reorganized, even with him moving quickly and angrily, but it did help. 

He went back into the main stable, and closed Patton’s and Logan’s stall doors. 

“Are you still mad?” The one centaur asked quietly. 

Thomas shook his head. “I’m still very upset that Patton was treated that way, especially when I think that he might be being treated like that right now. But I’m not going to snap at anybody.”

Roman stepped forward, leaning against his door. “That… means a lot.”

Thomas nodded. “Well, I don’t want to be caught unprepared again. Is there anything I can do to help you be ready for your competition tomorrow, Roman?”

“Well, it’d be nice to practice a bit.”

Thomas nodded, glad to have something else to focus on. “Yes. Where do you practice, what do you need?”

Roman smiled, clearly still a bit upset himself, but also pushing past it. “We can go to the same paddock, I can do it there.”

Thomas nodded, still struggling a bit to break out of the bad mood. He turned to the other centaur. “Do you need anything? Wait— would you want to come with us?”

Both Roman and the other centaur were clearly shocked by the offer. “You… don’t think I’ll run away?”

Thomas frowned slightly. “You guys seem awfully preoccupied with running away, especially since you don’t seem to actually want to do it.”

The centaur crossed his arms, looking away and frowning. “Well… if it… if it was someone else… I’d try to.” 

Thomas suddenly realized how very much trust they’d put in him already. It was a lot. Really a lot. 

He nodded very slowly. “So… would you want to come?”

The centaur’s frown got bigger, but he nodded. 

“You’d have to have a halter on,” Roman said. “And Thomas would have to hold onto it the whole time.”

“I know that!” The centaur snapped. “What, do you want me not to come? Worried you’ve slipped and I’ll see it?”

Roman gasped. “I have Not slipped!”

The smirk on the other centaur’s face was the closest thing to a smile Thomas had seen yet. 

“I’ll get the halters, and put food in Patton’s stall, in case he comes back while we’re gone.”

The centaur still went rigidly stiff as Thomas approached him with the halter, but Thomas handed it up to him, and let him put it on himself, which seemed to calm the issue almost entirely. 

As the three of them walked out of the stable and towards the paddock, even though the one centaur kept shying away from nothing and sometimes startling, they had many pairs of eyes fixed on them. Thomas suspected that the centaur had been confined inside for a long time, not trusting even the times when they might have been genuine in wanting to let him go outside. 

As they reached the paddock, away from the other people and animals, and full of lush grass and very aside and open, Thomas suspected that this would quickly become one of his favorite places. 

“Can I just run to the end and back before I start?” Roman asked, his walk getting to be just a bit bouncy and excited. 

“Yeah, absolutely,” Thomas said, grinning and unbuckling the lead from the halter. “Have fun with it!”

Roman smiled brightly and took off, breaking into a full gallop almost immediately and letting out a whoop halfway down the field. 

Thomas figured, especially as the centaur wasn’t indicating that he’d like the halter to be off, that he should not unclip it, lest ‘helpful’ people come running up to stop him from ‘running away’. So he just started walking down the field, and the centaur seemed pretty content to walk near him, and watch Roman have fun. 

Roman ran for a while, and then started in on much more complicated things. Thomas knew  _ of  _ dressage, but not many details at all, and so it was both confusing and mesmerizing to watch Roman practice.

He stopped them maybe two hours later, when the sun was getting to be very hot, and took them back to the stable. 

He saw Patton immediately when he walked in, and ran to his stall. “Patton!”

Patton reached out and hugged him over the door. “Thomas! I was so worried, especially when I saw Vi—uhhh— my friend’s stall was empty! I thought something bad had happened.”

“Nope, nothing bad!” Roman said cheerfully, walking into his own stall. “Just some practice.”

The other centaur also seemed to easily manage getting into his own stall, as well as taking off the halter and hanging on the door. Though Roman was having much more trouble reaching the buckle, since it was squarely in the middle of his back. 

Thomas helped him get it off and put them away. 

“Now. I think all three of you would do well with some kind of brushing or wash, and then I think I’ll call and discuss this schedule.”

Roman and Patton nodded easily, but the other centaur was more hesitant. Thomas decided he could be for last. Maybe, with the incredible steps they’d already taken, once he saw how much Roman and Patton enjoyed it, he’d let Thomas really get him clean. 

Patton was rather sticky again, and Thomas had to get the sponge and the water, but Patton gave him this little trusting smile, and didn’t make any sort of fuss, though he still flinched a little when the water splashed in the bucket. But then Thomas just brushed him down, and Patton was very relaxed and happy. 

He snagged Thomas in a surprise hug as he was leaving the stall. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, Patton.” Thomas said, turning around to hug Patton back properly. 

Roman grinned. “I’m next!”

Thomas was very, very glad that they were actually looking forward to it. It was always something enjoyable with Remy and Emile, something they looked forward to, and did with each other when he wasn’t available. 

Roman was fun to groom, too. With how pretty his coat was, and his happy little shuffles sometimes, and especially when Thomas caught him trying to subtly watch and grin. 

“Do you want your tail braided again?”

“Yes, please! Truly, Thomas, you are the best groom any of us could’ve asked for.”

Thomas felt his cheeks grow a bit warm. “Thank you, Roman. I’d really love to be.”

Roman was far more subtle than Patton had been as Thomas was preparing to leave his stall. Just angled a bit and a shift of his arm to be more open. But Thomas knew what he was going for and gave him a hug too. 

And then the last one. Thomas just went to lean on his door first. 

“So. If I’m being perfectly honest, I’d really like to give you a complete wash with shampoo and everything, but I’d take a no, if you really aren’t comfortable with that yet.”

The centaur shuffled around, frowning down at the ground. 

Patton suddenly peeped up over the wall, though this one was built up taller, so he had to be up on his hind legs to do it. “You know, yesterday he washed Logan, and Logan even stayed asleep the whole time. He’s super gentle.”

Thomas smiled at the praise. “I really would try to make it comfortable for you.”

He still looked conflicted, but finally shrugged. “Fine.”

Thomas was more than incredibly impressed with how far they’d gone in only two days, but also very glad. “Thank you. Would you rather in here, or we can do it in another stall, so that yours won’t be damp underfoot.”

“Another one,” he said, his tone more than a little anxious. 

Thomas opened the stall door and went to warm up some water. When he got back, the centaur was in the stall next to Patton’s, and Patton was holding his hand and talking quietly. And that was just adorable. 

He turned as Thomas approached, but Patton grabbed his other hand too. “It’s alright. Just focus on me, ok?”

The centaur nodded, but his eyes were wide and a subtle tremor started running over his body, even as he turned back to Patton and squeezed his hands. 

Thomas tried to keep the water sounds quiet, but he still flinched, and shied away as Thomas got close with the sponge. He set it against the centaurs side and he stepped away, one hoof slamming into the ground with enough force that it would certainly injure Thomas if it had landed on his foot or been aimed at his leg. 

“It’s alright,” Thomas reassured quickly. “You’re doing pretty good.”

The tremor grew into a persistent tremble, but he didn’t say anything. 

“I’m going to touch you again with the sponge,” Thomas said, realizing now that he should’ve been more verbal about the process. “But I’m not putting any more water in it. It’s soft, and only a little wet still. Here we go. And now I’m just going to move it along your side. There. Very good. You don’t have to stand perfectly still, it’s alright to move a little bit. You’re doing very well. I’m going to get it wet again, but we’ll move slowly. It’s alright. Just water. It’s not very cold, and I only have some, cause I squeezed out half of it. It’s going to touch you again, just a bit higher than last time. There you go. Well done, that was much better than last time. I’ll move it along your back, nice and slow. There. See, it doesn’t feel so bad. You’re doing very well.”

Thomas spared a look at Patton as he soaked the sponge again. The grip on his hands was very tight, probably a bit painfully so, but Patton was smiling softly, murmuring soft encouragements and praises. 

“I have some more water, and I’m going to put it closer to your shoulder this time.” Thomas said, moving very slowly as he was being watched intently. There was still a flinch, but the centaur didn’t move away this time. “That was very good. I’m going to move the sponge around your shoulder now, just really slowly and gently, get it all wet. And now I’ll move down your leg a bit, I’ll be as careful as I can. That’s very good, thank you. Alright, I’m done there, I’ll get some more water.”

The centaur never really relaxed while Thomas wet his coat, but the tremble slowly faded. 

“Alright. I’m going to get the shampoo, and then I’ll come back.”

There was a short, cut off sound, and Thomas waited. 

“Don’t-Don’t pinch,” the centaur said, starting to tremble again. 

There came that anger again, which Thomas was incredibly careful to keep all traces of off of his face. “I won’t. I promise. There may be some small tangles, but I promise I’ll be as gentle as I possibly can, and if it ever hurts you, just say something and I’ll stop immediately.”

He looked like he didn’t believe Thomas, but he nodded anyway. 

Thomas got the shampoo, and brought it over. “Are you ok with this kind?”

The question seemed to confuse the centaur, and he shrugged. 

“Alright, I’m going to start up at the top of your back, and work my way down and around. I’ll just use my hands, alright?”

The centaur shivered, but nodded, and Thomas started working, extremely careful to be gentle, and working in small circles, massaging the shampoo into the coat in the way that was the only thing that made Remy properly melt, other than coffee. And slowly the centaur really did relax, so that rinsing didn’t seem to cause him hardly any distress at all, and during the drying and brushing there weren’t any problems. 

Thomas was still incredibly relieved to be done, and to see the centaur’s coat clean and dry and smooth. 

“All done. How does it feel?”

The centaur nodded, biting his lip. “Um…” There was a silence for a few seconds, and then he held out a hand to Thomas, not quite looking at him. “My, um, my name is Virgil. It’s nice to meet you.”

Thomas felt a sudden intense rush of awe and excitement and affection all at once, and it made it hard to slow his motion in reaching his own hand out and taking Virgil’s. He was already smiling so wide his cheeks hurt. “It’s very nice to meet you, Virgil. I’m Thomas.”

Patton clapped, making little hops and beaming at them both. Virgil was clearly embarrassed by all the attention, and turned away, but he had a smile that couldn’t quite be hidden either. 

Thomas left them alone for a bit to put away the supplies, and then cleaned Virgil’s hooves before letting him back into his own stall. Thankfully, there were no problems with that process. Virgil stood still and calm, and it was quick and easy. 

Next he was going to try and figure out what he could do about the schedule. 

He pulled the calendar off the wall and frowned down at it, flipping through the next few months. For now he was just focused on Logan, though later he’d examine the others’ as well. It seemed that Logan did three separate things. One seemed to be a kind of contest, and was scheduled every Saturday and two Wednesdays. The second he had to look around and find another paper tackled behind the calendar to explain, but it seemed that it was a charitable thing. Logan would pull a heavy cart, and people would pledge to donate based on how far he pulled it. That one was only twice monthly. 

But the third was the most confusing, and filled up almost every other day. It was only represented by an acronym. FHVSN. and he couldn’t find anything else about it, though he did find more details on Roman’s contests and medical records for each of them, as well as something clearing Virgil for riding after an injury when he was a colt. 

Finally, he just decided he’d have to call and ask. He would have to ask to cancel the activity anyway, so he might as well ask what it was. 

So he took a deep breath and dialed the number. 

_ “Hello?” _

“Hello, this is Thomas Sanders.”

_ “Oh, Thomas! Are there any problems?” _

“Yes, I’m looking at the schedule, and I don’t know what one of these activities is.”

_ “Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. You don’t have to take them there, they’ll be picked up.” _

“Yes, but one of your centaurs has too many activities scheduled.”

_ “Oh? No, I’ve seen the schedule, it’s quite reasonable.” _

“He has five days off for the whole month. I don’t mean to be rude, but that is  **not** reasonable.”

_ “No, that’s not right. When I last saw it, Merry had the most activities scheduled, but those are just parties, they aren’t too much for a centaur, and there aren’t that many. There was once. Perhaps you’re looking at an old calendar.” _

“No, this is current, and he’s not the one I’m talking about.”

_ “Oh. Well, then I’m not sure what to tell you. Perhaps it’s something a previous groom set up. I tend to let the grooms have a lot of leeway. It may be something other than what you’re thinking. Why don’t I give you his number, and you can work it out with him. I trust your judgement.” _

“O-ok. Thank you. I would appreciate the number.”

Thomas wrote down the number and then hung up, more confused than before. 

But at least he knew now that he would likely be able to change things outside his own behavior. He’d felt so helpless about it the day before. 

So he called the other number, but he didn’t get an answer. He tried a second time, but also no answer. 

“Well, I guess I’ll try again later,” he said out loud, aware that the centaurs were probably all listening to him. 

The next few hours were just some cleaning and occasional calling again, but never with an answer. Perhaps the previous groom had changed his number?

Finally Thomas fed the centaurs their dinner, wondering if Logan always got back so late. It was almost time for him to go home, and still Logan wasn’t back. 

“Is this usual? Shouldn’t Logan be back?”

“No,” Roman said grumpily, picking at his food. “It’ll be a while yet.”

“They take him out before the groom gets here, and bring him back afterwards,” Thomas said incredulously. “When does he get cared for?”

“We try and help however we can,” Patton said. “But most of it waits until his day off.”

Thomas frowned. “This isn’t right. I don’t know what I have to do to fix it but it will  _ not  _ stay like this.” He paced back and forth along the wide middle aisle. “The people in charge don’t even know what he’s doing, but it  _ can’t  _ be healthy. And… I’m just very angry about how you all have been treated. I don’t want to worry you, because I’m not upset even a little with any of you, but it’s possible that, as I’m finding out more about what’s been going on, that I might express that I’m angry. And I want you all to know why. It’s not right the way you’ve been treated. Not even a little bit. It makes me very angry. And I want it to change. As soon as possible.”

A sound made him go outside, just in case, and he was glad that he did. Someone was leading Logan back. Logan was plodding along very slowly, his head down. He was in a typical harness for centaurs that were to do some kind of very hard work, which held his arms close to his torso, able to move a little up and down but not out. And he had blinders on. What he could have possibly needed blinders for Thomas couldn’t imagine. 

But, as much as all of his impulses were to hurry Logan inside, away from this person, he leaned against the stable wall casually. 

“Hi.”

“Hey, there. You’re new, right? He didn’t come harnessed this morning, and it’s a damn pain to get those things on him. Just leave them, save us both some trouble.”

“I am new. What is it he does?” Thomas asked, accepting the reigns without another look to Logan, something he knew he would be apologizing for later. 

“Oh. Yeah, it’s like a horse race, with the betting an all, but instead of speed it’s strength. This one makes a whole heap of money, I’ll tell you that.” He punctuated his words with a slap to Logan’s rump, but Logan didn’t seem to react at all, and Thomas suppressed his own reaction. 

“Oh, yeah, I guess they’re so rich, they have to make their money some way,” he said, trying to chuckle. 

“Oh, nah!” The man said, shaking his head with a grin. “Nah, it’s for the grooms. You’re pretty green to get a cut, but give it a month or two, help keep him healthy enough to do well, we’ll cut you in.”

Thomas smiled, hopefully managing to hide how very sick he felt. “Wow, how much might I get cut in for?”

“Ehh, you know, probably something small at the beginning, 5% or so. We can’t pay you too much, the last few grooms went and bailed on us!” The man laughed, clapping a hand on Thomas’s shoulder. “But you’re different, I can tell. Someday you’ll get up even to 25.”

“How much would that be?” Thomas asked. 

“Gotta know all the details, huh? Well, it’s pretty hefty. I’d say that first cut might even be $500-$800 a week.”

Thomas let out a whistle. “That much?”

“Yeah! You just keep doing your job and waiting. You’ll get in.” The man turned away, walking back with a pleased swagger. 

Thomas led Logan inside the stable. 

“Logan, I’m so sorry. I promise you I didn’t mean a word I said.”

Logan didn’t react, the look in his eyes distant and unfocused. 

Thomas grabbed a stool and started undoing the harness. Logan just went mostly limp, running on some kind of exhausted autopilot. Thomas got all the gear off of him, guiding him until he laid on the bed, and getting a brush to brush him down quickly, and dry off the sweat before it dried on him. 

Virgil peeped out of his stall, hiding behind the half-closed door. “Can I see him?”

“What?” Thomas said, his mind too mixed up to process quite right. 

Virgil shuffled awkwardly. “Can I see Logan? Go into his stall?”

Thomas only hesitated a few seconds. “Yes. Yeah, let me open your stall.”

“I can get it.”

Apparently Virgil’s previous claim to be able to get out of his stall if his arms were free was true, as he seemed to have no problems reaching and turning the latch, even though it was placed specifically to be hard for centaurs to reach. 

Virgil trotted into Logan’s stall, sidling up close to his side and just leaning against him. Logan let out a long, slow breath, and seemed to slip into a deeper sleep. 

Thomas went to the phone. It might be late, but if they’d pick up, he was dealing with this tonight. 

“Hello? Yes. Were you aware that one of the previous grooms has been sending your centaur out regularly to be gambled over in races? He’s been keeping the money and splitting it between those running the races and other grooms. He has. I was just asked if I wanted to join in the scheme. I would like to call the police and also a doctor to give the centaur a thorough exam. Yes. Thank you. I’ll be here early tomorrow.”


	3. The Third Day, or rather, Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters are gonna be a bit shorter now.

Thomas was more than a bit groggy, having gotten up quite a bit earlier than he usually would to make it out to the stable on time. He wanted to get there before the man would come back for Logan. He’d already called the police, and they should be there around the same time he was trying to be, to catch the people behind it all. 

The sun was only barely up as he unlocked the door, whispering from inside cutting off abruptly as he swung it open. 

“Wha— Thomas?” Roman said. 

Thomas waved, hiding a yawn behind his hand. “Morning, guys. I had to get here a bit early to help the police.” He smiled triumphantly. “We’re catching those old grooms and the people they’re working with.”

“Yay!” Patton said in a half whisper, clapping his hands gently so they didn’t make sound. 

“Is Logan still asleep?” Thomas asked, lowering his voice. 

Roman nodded. “He’ll sleep until he’s woken up. So will Virgil, but Virgil just likes being asleep.”

Thomas nodded, and then turned, seeing cars distantly on one of the gravel roads that crisscrossed the estate. They seemed to be white, so they were probably the police. He hoped they realized that they would have to walk a good way to reach the stable, and wouldn’t just drive around looking for the turn that wasn’t there. 

“I’ll go see if that’s them.”

It turned out to be a bit of a mess catching their attention and getting them to come back to the stable, but at least the jogging around and talking to people woke him up the rest of the way. The police wanted to hide in the stable and listen to what the man would say before they arrested him, though they did already have a warrant, based on what Thomas had told them the night before. So they parked the cars where they wouldn’t be as easily noticed, and hid up in the loft. 

Then he just had to wait, and not even very long, before a car with a big trailer drove up. The man walked nearly halfway to the stable before he noticed Thomas. 

“Hey, there. Didn’t expect anyone out here this early.”

Thomas shrugged, going over some of the questions he was supposed to ask. “I was just thinking, you said you got all your money betting on him. Until I get my cut, I might want to put some money in the ring too. Where is he going to do these ‘races’?”

“Oh, there’s four or five places, but you’d have to actually be there, or at least send someone to stand in for you. You’d be better waiting, unless you have a nice nest egg already.”

“Would you be willing to stand in for me? You’re already going.”

“Well, I’m going, but I don’t get to be out in the stands. Your centaur isn’t the only one I cart around, and I get pretty busy. Makes the cut better for me.”

“Ahh, yeah, I see. So say I were to send a friend, where are these places specifically?”

“Well… it’s more of a trade secret. But if you’re sending one friend, and they’d better be a close friend, I can probably get by with giving you three of them. You have a paper?”

Thomas frowned slightly, patting his pockets. “Not on me, but there’s one in the stable. Come on inside.”

Almost immediately, the man looked towards Logan, wrinkling up his nose and frowning. “I thought I told you to leave the harness on.”

“He still has to sleep,” Thomas said, grabbing a spare paper and a pen. “Here.”

The man grumbled, scrawling down addresses. “It’s just a centaur, they can sleep in a harness.”

Thomas took the paper when he was done, folding it and putting it in his pocket. “Thank you. Are there any other tips you can give me?”

The man shoved his hands into his pockets, still grumbling. “Eh, I’m not giving all the tips to a newbie.” He turned to Logan’s stall. 

Thomas glanced up, nodding quickly to the police. In moments, they were clamoring down, grabbing the man, who started yelling and cursing Thomas out, spewing everything he could think of. Thomas’s first thought was worry for Virgil waking up and panicking, but when he could see into the stall, both Logan and Virgil were awake, and it looked like Logan was squishing Virgil against the wall. Virgil was peeking up over Logan’s back, clearly alarmed, but not freaking out. 

“Thanks, Thomas.” One of the policemen said as they left. Thomas hoped he’d never have to see them again. It was… a lot. But at least now it was over. 

“What just happened?” Logan asked. 

“Well hopefully,” Thomas said, suddenly feeling very tired. “I just stopped the illegal betting. Certainly you won’t have to go back there again.”

Logan just stared at him, his gaze blank in a shocked sort of way. “Perhaps this is a dream.”

“It’s not a dream,” Virgil said. “I heard him call the police last night.”

Logan looked down at Virgil, still with the same blank look. “Regardless, I am going back to sleep. It is likely things will make more sense when I next wake up.”

Virgil pushed him a bit. “Move back to the middle then. I’ll sleep with you.” 

The two of them resettled, and Thomas went back and sat down on the ground outside Patton’s stall, trying to rub the sleep away by rubbing at his face. 

“I… hate to bother when you’ve only just sat down, but I will need some assistance to be ready for my competition,” Roman said quietly. 

Thomas nodded, and smiled. “Yeah, I’ll help. Maybe I’ll try and get a nap in the afternoon. That’s when naps ought to be had anyway, huh?”

Roman needed to look his best, and it took a bit of time to get him all fancied up, but most of it was pretty easygoing and relaxing for the both of them, and Roman really did shine at the end. 

“You look gorgeous,” Thomas said, preparing and handing out breakfast. “I’m sure you’ll blow the others away.”

Roman grinned, blushing slightly. “Thanks.”

And then the door opened, and a rather short man, dressed similar to a jockey, but not quite, walked in, grinning wide. “How’s my prizewinner?”

Roman’s smile grew into something triumphant, but the light in his eyes seemed to fade, and he didn’t answer other than the smile. 

Thomas set a hand on Roman’s back, right above the juncture, and Roman gave his shoulder a quick squeeze. And that was mostly it before Roman was led off by the man. Thomas really, really hoped that Roman would manage to have a bit of a good time. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments and theories spur on my motivation! Drop them all on me!


	4. Logan’s Legs Are Hurting

“Alright,” Thomas said, satisfied that Roman was properly off to his competition. “Logan and Virgil are sleeping, and Patton, do you know if you have anything for today?”

“I don’t think so, but I don’t really know,” Patton said. 

“In that case, I’m going to try taking a quick nap and then maybe Logan and Virgil will wake up. If anything comes up, you wake me up, ok?”

Patton nodded. 

Thomas ended up flopping onto a pile of hay and dozing off. It wasn’t like him to take naps, but he’d been up quite late and then woke up much earlier than usual. 

He woke to hear quiet murmuring. 

“Ugh. They’re just creepy. And way too fast.” It sounded like Virgil saying. 

“They’re sweet!” Patton said, his tone soft and cooing. 

“It’s unsanitary to hold them in your hands,” Logan said. 

“But he’s so soft! And he’s sweet too, he likes me better than any of the others.” Patton protested. 

Thomas yawned and sat up. Patton abruptly turned around, hiding whatever he was holding. 

“What is it?” Thomas asked. 

Patton turned to look at him with large, pleading eyes, and a spark behind them that said he’d fight if he needed to. “He’s mine. You can’t kill him.”

Thomas knew then that it must be some kind of small animal, but what? “I wouldn’t kill him, Patton, I’d just like to know what he is.”

Patton frowned. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

Patton reluctantly turned, showing a rat held in his cupped hands. 

Thomas tried to hide his recoil, deciding immediately that he agreed with Virgil. “How um, how many of them do you have? And where are they staying?”

Patton’s face fell. He held the rat close to his chest. “You’re going to kill them!”

Thomas felt stuck. If there were many rats in the stable, he couldn’t just let them stay and breed and overrun everything. But he didn’t want to go and kill animals Patton clearly viewed as more pets than pests. 

Thomas frowned in thought, but based on the shuffling of hooves he guessed that the longer he waited the more he’d be misunderstood. So he came to a quick decision. 

“There are four of you all together,” he said, slowly, still trying to hash out details in his mind. “And one of me.”

Patton backed a step away, holding the rat closer. 

“What would you think if I went and got a rat cage tonight, and some toys and proper food, and you could pick out four to keep? And they stay in the cage. And then I get one cat to keep the others out of the stable.”

Patton frowned, turmoil rolling across his face. “Only if I can take as many as I can out to the paddock before the cat comes.”

Thomas nodded immediately. 

Patton nodded slowly. “Ok.”

Thomas looked around. “I have some friends, Joan and Talyn, and they have pet rats. The cage is pretty big, I’m not sure it would fit in your stall comfortably, but perhaps we could find a way to hang it in the next stall so you can still reach and open it from inside yours.”

Patton’s face brightened a lot. “I could still play with them?”

Thomas nodded. “Of course, that’s the point.”

Patton looked slightly embarrassed. “I thought you’d put them over by the closet or something…”

Thomas felt a sudden impulse to hug Patton. “No. Patton, I really want for you all to be happy. I wouldn’t take your friends and stick them somewhere you couldn’t have them.”

Patton’s face got really soft, and just a bit teary. “Thank you, Thomas.”

Thomas opened the stall door and held out his arms, and Patton crashed into him in a tight hug. He wasn’t sure where the rat was, but he couldn’t feel it running onto him, so he just focused on hugging Patton. 

He waited until Patton let go first. 

“If you want to try gathering them up now we can go to the paddock,” Thomas suggested. 

Patton nodded quickly. 

Even if it was more than a little disconcerting, it was also very interesting to see Patton making little noises and seeing the mice and rats coming out and climbing onto his back, waiting patiently for the bits of leftover breakfast he fed them. Judging by Logan and Virgil’s faces, they thought so too. There had to be nearly twenty. Thomas tore his eyes away. 

“Would you two like to go to the paddock with us or would you rather stay here?”

Virgil looked like he’d rather stay, but didn’t say anything at first. 

“I would appreciate going out,” Logan said. “As well as an explanation of what happened last night and this morning.”

“I’ll go with you guys then,” Virgil said. 

Thomas nodded and pulled down the halters. He handed them out, instead of trying to put them on, only helping when Patton couldn’t quite reach without disturbing his ‘passengers’. 

“Don’t hold the ropes in the same hand,” Virgil said. “I want to be as far away from the rats as possible.”

“There’s only a few rats,” Patton said. “Most of them are mice.”

Virgil shuddered. 

“Have they been bothering you?” Thomas asked. “With this many in the stable, especially being in Patton’s stall…”

“He gets the rats out of mine and I get the spiders out of his,” Virgil said, sidling out of the stall and away from Patton. 

“It’s truly remarkable the way they each seem to have a control over the animals,” Logan commented, though he also stayed away from Patton. 

Thomas just nodded. 

The walk out to the paddock went well, despite several jumpy movements by Virgil. Thomas was very glad to release them inside, but then Patton walked off to disperse the rats, leaving him alone with a skittish Virgil and Logan, who he barely knew. Then again, he hadn’t known any of them for very long. 

But Logan just turned away and started walking, along the fence, rather slowly. And Virgil followed him. 

So then Thomas didn’t really have anything to do. 

“Maybe I should’ve waited and napped out here,” he mused. 

He ended up sitting on the rail of the fence and just watching them. Patton seemed to be giving each one of his mice a personal goodbye, and Logan and Virgil didn’t look to be talking at all, just walking together, following the fence. Thomas wondered why. And also realized that they all looked just a bit… unkempt. Not their horse halves, but their human sides. Logan and Virgil definitely needed regular access to a hairbrush, and Patton might have curls if he had the right products to care for his hair. And they could all use a new, clean shirt. Which led him to realize that they didn’t even have pajamas, much less regularly change into them. 

He was caught up enough in thought that he didn’t notice Virgil until he was nearly on top of him, and when he finally saw him he startled, and fell backwards off the fence with a yell. Virgil also startled, rearing up and letting out a kind of a screech. 

“Owww… Sorry.”

Virgil was still panting and wide-eyed, but nodded. “Yeah. That was… half on me anyway.”

Thomas got to his feet again. “Are you ok? What did you need?”

“I’m fine, but Logan’s legs are hurting. I’m not sure what to do to help.”

Thomas looked down the paddock, to see Logan a good ways down. He was still walking slowly, towards them now, but it was a decent distance yet. 

“Alright. Thank you for telling me, I’ll see what I can do.”

Thomas’s first impulse had been to call the vet immediately, but he knew from experience that the vet he usually called wouldn’t take ‘hearsay’, which was basically anything another centaur said. And while he had that number memorized, that wasn’t the vet he’d been told to call if these centaurs ever needed medical care. 

So instead he jogged down the field towards Logan. 

Logan saw him coming from a ways off, and stopped, waiting for him and Virgil, though Virgil reached him much faster. 

Thomas was pretty decently winded by the time he reached them, but tried not to show it too much. 

“So what’s… the problem…?”

“It’s not a big deal,” Logan said. “It’s likely since I’m not working, but my legs are sore.”

“Can I check them?” Thomas asked. “I’d need to touch them.”

Logan nodded, but his face seemed to go a bit slack. As if he were dissociating. Thomas felt something in his stomach drop at that, but he was too concerned for Logan to just back off. 

He ran a hand carefully down Logan’s front leg, and didn’t really feel any weird… lumps or tears or anything… he didn’t entirely know what he was looking for. But what he did  _ not  _ like was how very warm they felt. Almost hot, like they were inflamed. 

“Ok. Let’s get you back to the stable, and I’m going to wrap your legs with a cooling gel, alright?” 

Logan nodded, not looking at Thomas, his eyes distant. 

Thomas frowned in worry. 

“Virgil, would you get Patton, please? I’ll walk with Logan back to the gate.”

Virgil nodded, clearly just as concerned. 

Thomas walked slowly, waiting for Logan, but as soon as he turned away from the fence to cut across the shorter way Logan stopped. 

“Are you ok? Do your legs hurt more?”

Logan shook his head. “I can’t go that way.”

Thomas frowned, but nodded. “Ok, but why not?”

“There could be holes.”

“There aren’t that many, and you can just step around. We don’t have to be that fast, you can walk carefully.”

Logan just frowned, and started walking along the fence again, just as slowly as before.

Thomas felt a surge of frustration at his stubbornness, especially when they should really get him back to the stable as soon as possible. He took a deep breath. It was very likely that Logan had a reason, likely that it was a good one. The question was why he wasn’t mentioning his reason. 

“Logan, there are holes along the fence as well, I don’t understand why you need to go this way. I would really prefer if we could get back to the stable faster.”

“Then you shouldn’t have sent Virgil away,” Logan said, his voice as close to a snap as Thomas had heard yet. 

Thomas was now even more confused. But he knew that meeting anger with anger Never turned out well. He’d had more than enough just as confusing arguments with Remy to convince him of that.

“I’m sorry for sending him away, I didn’t realize you would prefer him to stay. We can call him back, I’m sure he’s talked with Patton by this time.”

Logan turned and stared at him, his eyes squinted in disbelief. He crossed his arms. “Please do.”

Thomas turned away and called Virgil, hoping his voice carried far enough. Virgil did turn and start cantering towards them, Patton following close behind.

“Yes?” Virgil said, his eyes wide and a shiver running over his flanks. 

“Logan wanted you to walk back with us,” Thomas said. 

Logan nodded, an odd look coming over his face. Virgil sidled up close to him, leaning against him, and murmuring something quietly. Soon they were both walking back across the field towards the fence. Thomas jogged behind, and Patton walked next to him, a tight smile on his face. 

“Don’t worry, Patton, I’ll do everything I can and call a vet to help too.”

Patton nodded, but when he spoke his voice was just as tight as his smile. “Thanks.”

They got back to the stable without any more problems, but Thomas could see that Logan was walking more and more stiffly. 

“Alright,” Thomas said, trying to keep his thoughts in order and not panic. “Logan, if you want to lay on your bed, I’ll see what I can do for your legs now, and then I’ll call the vet. Or perhaps I’d better call the vet first…”

“I believe calling the vet ought to come first,” Logan said, laying on the bed and looking very tired and sore.

Thomas nodded and went to the phone. 

“Hello?” The vet said, answering almost immediately.

“Yes, so I’m the new groom for the Authier’s centaurs, and one is in pain. It’s in his legs, and they’re hot to the touch.”

There was a thoughtful hum and the faint sound of paper rustling. “Which one, the big one?”

“Yes.”

“Was there any kind of incident?”

“No, he was just walking.”

“I see. Wrap it up then, and don’t let him do anything strenuous, I’ll be out this evening.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

Thomas sighed and set the phone down. He’d intended to use cooling gel, which he’d seen while organizing the other day, but the vet hadn’t said anything about it, and he didn’t want to make things slightly better and then she’d think it wasn’t as bad as it actually was. So he just got out the wraps and wrapped up Logan’s legs, tightly enough to provide some support. 

“Feeling any better?” He asked hopefully. 

But Logan shook his head, eyes closed, and mouth tight. 

“I’m sorry.”

“You’ve done nothing but attempt to help.” Logan said matter-of-factly, but Thomas could still hear the faint tinge of pain in his voice. 

Thomas went right back to the phone.

“Hello?”

“Yes, this is Thomas again, er, the new groom. What can I do for pain relief before you get there?”

The vet sighed in a slightly annoyed way. “You really shouldn’t give any medicine before I get there.”

“He’s in pain. I need  _ something. _ ”

She made a short, annoyed sound. “If you have Equipalazone you can give him some of that, based on his weight. Only use one dose before I get there, and if it’s needed I’ll give the ok for more.”

“Alright. Thank you.”

“Mhmm.”

She hung up. 

Thomas went searching through the medicine cabinet, and finally found some. 

“Does anyone know how much Logan weighs?”

“Likely in the area of 2,200 pounds, based on my last weighing,” Logan said. 

Thomas frowned at the box. “Then eight--nine grams. Ok.”

He opened it to see packets. Of powder. He grimaced, hoping it would be  _ too  _ awful-tasting. 

“Is there a way you know of that you’d prefer to take it?”

Logan was also looking at the packets with disgust. “Mix them all in water, and provide a second, clear cup.”

Thomas nodded immediately, making and then handing both cups to Logan. Somehow Logan managed to swallow the first cup with not much more than a nasty face, and then drained the second. 

“Do you want more water? Or something with a better taste?” Thomas offered.

Logan nodded, his face still screwed up. 

Thomas grabbed one of his drink packets. They were meant to be put in water bottles and he was supposed to be using them to drink more, but it wasn’t awfully effective, especially not when coffee existed. He put it in a large cup of water and handed it to Logan.

Logan was very clearly surprised by the flavor, and slowly drank the cup, swishing the drink around in his mouth to flush the flavor of the medicine down. 

“Better?”

“The taste is much better, and I believe the pain will fade.”

“Oh, good.” Thomas sat down, relief washing over him.

He’d thought, when he took the job, that he’d been watching two anyway, so four wouldn’t be a huge problem. But he’d underestimated the problems that other people would cause. He wasn’t sure he could keep this up on a normal work day. 

  
  



	5. The Vet Visits, and what happened as a result.

To say Thomas worried the rest of the day would be an understatement. He tried to keep it to himself, but it must have been palpable, since Roman came into the stable bright and happy, and his smile dropped immediately. His eyes went wide, clearly sending messages to the others, but he didn’t say a word until his jockey was gone. 

“What happened?!”

“It’s not that much to be concerned about,” Logan said. “My legs are hurting, nothing more.”

“The vet has been called at least!” Roman said, a flash of anger in his eyes. “If—“ his words fizzled out as he turned to see Thomas. 

“No, no, Thomas called the vet. She’s coming tonight to help,” Patton said, his tone calming. 

“Well,” Roman looked like the wind had been taken out of him. “Good.”

And that somehow reminded Thomas. The very visit probably wouldn’t be over in a few minutes, he would be late to get home again. He was now Extremely glad he’d gotten a cell phone for Remy. Perhaps after a month or so he could afford one for Emile too. 

He went to the phone, ignoring the quiet talking from the others. 

Remy didn’t pick up right away, and Thomas called a second time. 

“Look, I don’t know who you are—“

“Remy, it’s Thomas.”

“Oh. Sorry, this is a weird number. Wait—- don’t tell me  _ you  _ got lost this time!” Remy laughed. “Emile! You’ve got to hear this!”

“No, no, Remy, I’m not lost, I’m still at work. I just called to say I’ll probably have to stay late again.”

There was a vague, displeased grunt. “What, overtime twice in a row? You  _ did  _ negotiate for overtime pay, right?”

Thomas sighed. “No, I’m not sure I’m even getting paid at all for it.”

“What?!” Remy yelled. “Thomas, you are A  _ Doormat! _ ” The sound went a little fainter. “Emile, tell him! He’s not even getting paid for staying late!”

“Really, Thomas, you do need to stand up for yourself in terms of fair payment,” Emile said. 

Thomas chuckled slightly, sighing. “I know. I really do. This is just more important than that. I’ll explain when I get home, and I’ll even try to figure out a way to renegotiate.”

“We’ll hold you to that,” Remy promised. 

“Be safe and reasonable,” Emile said. “If you get very tired, it may be better to quit before your task is complete or to stay the night there.”

“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind,” Thomas said. “Love you guys.”

“Yeah, yeah, all the mushy ‘we love you too’,” Remy said distantly before hanging up. 

Thomas smiled a bit. He really missed them, even though it’d only been a few days, they seemed really long. 

And then he heard a car stop and a door shut. Hopefully that was the vet. 

He turned to offer his most reassuring smile to the centaurs before going out to meet her. 

“Oh, hello, are you Thomas?”

“I am, yes, and I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name.” 

“Dr. Avery. Would you help me carry some things?”

“Of course.”

“I’m not surprised something finally happened,” Dr. Avery said, her tone rather annoyed. “I’ve been saying all you recent grooms are lazy and uneducated.”

Thomas tried not to take offense, but really, he was undereducated. He hadn’t had barely an idea of what to do. 

“For a centaur like that one you need to be applying liniment all the time, and keep support for his legs between, and he really ought not to be sleeping standing.”

Thomas nodded, extremely glad for the information, though a part of him grated against the tone it was delivered in. 

“And he really needs some kinds of exercise other than those competitions. Without the variety, eventually he’ll be unable to do anything else. Maybe it’s even too late already.”

Thomas nodded again. 

They entered the stable, and the silence was almost oppressive. All four centaurs stared intently at them, very still, and not making a single sound, not even in response to Thomas’s small smile.

Dr. Avery went right into Logan’s stall, and he narrowed his eyes at her slightly before moving into the middle of the stall, crossing his arms and staring firmly at the wall. It somehow cut into Thomas to see it. As if the vet visiting was something that had happened long ago, and ended very unpleasantly, and this was some sort of unpleasant truce. But he didn’t know what to do about it. He, they all  _ needed  _ a vet, and he strongly doubted he would be able to call his vet. There would be so much paperwork, even just to begin, and Logan was hurt  _ now. _ Not to mention that the owners might well hate the idea of switching vets. 

Dr. Avery unwrapped Logan’s legs and ran her hands carefully over them, making small displeased noises as she found… whatever she was finding. 

“Thomas, go out to my truck, there’s a portable x-ray machine. Bring it here.”

Thomas ran to obey quickly. 

The vet examined each of Logan’s legs very carefully, and then studied the x-rays, frowning intently, but not saying much. Thomas felt like his breath was held the entire time, waiting on the professional judgement.

“Well, first of all,” she said, still staring at the papers. 

Thomas nodded quickly. “Yes?”

“This is going to be expensive to treat,” she said, her tone sour. “There are a  _ number  _ of faint cracks in the cannon bones. I’m quite frankly shocked he hasn’t broken his legs. He needs to stay off his feet as much as possible, and his legs need support, as well as dietary supplements to build up the bones again. He will  _ not  _ be able to participate in any of those competitions whatsoever for 12 weeks at the very least.”

Thomas nodded firmly. He was sure… well, he was desperately hopeful that the Authiers would pay for it.

“But on top of that the mental aspect cannot be discounted. I’ve known this centaur for quite a few years. It will be a long, and painful recovery, if it’s handled just right. I don’t think he’ll pull through it. Centaurs are finicky like that once injured.”

Thomas felt as though she’d managed to slap them all in the face, and Logan at least twice. He wasn’t sure if he was more shocked or angry.

“Add all that to the likelihood that he won’t be able to do many competitions afterwards even if he did somehow pull through it, and from the inactivity his muscles will be atrophied, he won’t be the same for… perhaps six months or more. I don’t know that you’ll, or rather, that the Authiers would find it worthwhile to keep him around anymore.”

Thomas felt like he might fall over. His voice came out squeaky and faint. “Are-- are you seriously suggesting that---”

“Putting him down. Yes.”

There was a choked sound from Patton, who looked both absolutely terrified and like he might throw up. Thomas wondered if he looked the same way. There was suddenly a scream.

**_“NO!”_ ** Virgil had reared up and kicked the door, hard. 

Dr. Avery paled. “Why is he loose like that?! That is a violent centaur!”

Thomas, in what was probably a powerful move Emile would berate him for later, managed to shove everything down all at once and put on a conciliatory smile. 

“Thank you so much for coming. I will talk to the Authiers, and call you again with their decision. If you leave, it will be easier to get him under control again.”

Virgil was still screaming, the sound more animal than human, and the stall door would  _ not  _ hold much longer. 

“That’s at least a three man job! I’ll get the tranquilizers.”

“No.” Thomas said firmly. “Please leave. Now.”

Dr. Avery shook her head like he was crazy, but grabbed her stuff and left. 

Thomas shut the stable door, and then heard a cracking of wood. In seconds Virgil was in front of him, rearing up threateningly. If he hadn’t already so far detached himself from the situation, Thomas might have screamed. And then he would have most assuredly died. But he didn’t, he raised his hands slowly and silently in surrender. 

“ **_You won’t touch him!_ ** ” Virgil screamed.

“Virgil, please. I swear to you I will never let anything like that happen to Logan. I swear. I will do everything I possibly can, and if that doesn’t work I’d kidnap him before I let someone kill him. I promise Virgil, everything I can, I will do to make him safe. I promise. Please. Please walk back to your stall. Or to Logan’s. I’m sure he would appreciate you with him.”

It was as if dark clouds started to be blown away as Virgil stood down, taking a step back and turning to look at Logan. 

Thomas collapsed to his knees, suddenly sobbing. 

Something was going on, but he didn’t know what, only that his breath was coming short and he couldn’t stop himself, nearly curled up in a ball, heavy sobs wracking his body. And then strong arms picking him up and holding him in a hug. 

“It’s alright. Everyone’s safe for now.” Someone said. “You did the best you could.”

Thomas tried hard to stop crying. He needed to be the strong one. He needed to fix everything. “I’m so-sorry, I’m trying.”

“It’s alright. We’re all alright for now. Let it out now.”

Thomas slowly managed to regain some kind of composure, and realized that Roman was holding him, knelt down on the floor with him. 

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what happened. You- you shouldn’t have to--”

He was cut off and surprised by Roman squeezing him in a tight hug. “Thomas, you’re giving us the best you have. Thank you. It’s enough.”

And somehow that made him want to cry all over again. Not the same desperate sobs, but it still made him sniff, and quite a few more tears ran down his face. “Thank you, Roman.”

“I’m sorry,” Virgil said, his voice quiet and low. “Did-- did you mean what you said?”

Thomas nodded firmly. “I’ll  _ never  _ just stand by while they kill someone. Especially not for being hurt.”

Patton burst into tears, which, judging by his wet face, were not the first by far. 

“Is Logan ok?” Thomas asked.

Virgil looked up at Logan’s face, which he could see from his place snugged up against his side. “He’s out.”

It took Thomas a second while his brain screamed ‘ _ he passed out???’  _ to realize Virgil probably meant he was heavily dissociated. Thomas couldn’t blame him. But… this was probably what the vet meant about centaur’s and their minds once they got injured. It wasn’t their fault, it was a whole life long of trauma. But for Logan to get well again he would have to be present. 

But not yet. He deserved to calmly make his way back. He deserved… anything, after being talked about like that. Someone literally threatened to kill him while he stood there listening! Thomas felt anger rising up in him, bringing with it a rush of heat and energy. He was calling the Authiers. And he was  _ not  _ taking no for an answer.

He took the phone with him into the closet, where he couldn’t be so easily overheard. None of them deserved any more bad news. 

“Hello?” A familiar voice asked, with loud music in the background. It was the woman who had hired him, and he felt bad to say, he didn’t remember her first name.

“Hello, Mrs. Authier, it’s Thomas Sanders.”

“Oh, Thomas! Do you need something?”

He was going to have to phrase this right if he had much hope. “I’ve been looking into the things that the other grooms did, and I’ve found several problems.”

“Uh huh. Well give me the quick version, I’m a bit busy.”

Thomas took a deep breath. “One of the centaurs needs medical care, and I need more time here. I’d like to be hired full-time, and be able to bring things over here to stay.”

“Oh, that was excellently quick. Is that everything?”

“Um, yes?”

“Great. I’ll give you an empty check for the medical care, and send my lawyer to talk with you in the morning about rearranging the schedule. Are we good now?”

“I… yes. I think so.”

“Great! There’s a party up at the main house, and it’ll go most of the night if you want to join.”

“Uh, thank you.”

“Call anytime, you’re a good summarizer!”

And then she hung up. Thomas was dumbfounded. It was entirely not how he’d expected it to go at all. He was wondering more and more what kind of crazy people he was working for. 

He called Dr. Avery, and went to voicemail, which he preferred quite a bit. “Mrs. Authier approved the medical treatment. If you can come in the morning and give me care instructions, I’ll do my best to be sure they’re followed.”

And then Thomas let out a long, relieved sigh. He came out of the closet to many tense faces. 

“She said yes. We’re going to treat Logan, and help him the best we can.”

Roman and Virgil sighed in relief, and Patton nearly cried again. “Oh, thank goodness!”

“And,” Thomas said, and suddenly had all eyes fixed on him again. “I think, I might be moving to stay here. Would that be alright with you guys?”

There was a strange silence. 

“Well, what we think about it wouldn’t really change anything,” Roman said. 

“Of course we’d love to have you!” Patton said, overlapping Roman’s words. 

Thomas nodded solemnly. He could understand if they didn’t want him here. They barely knew him, and it’d take away the privacy they had at nighttime. 

“Well, for tonight then, I need to wrap up Logan’s legs again, and probably after all that mess Virgil at least could use a brushing down. Would that be alright?”

Thomas looked mostly at Virgil, who nodded, but reluctantly, and didn’t meet his gaze. 

And Thomas had to admit, even with the exhausted numbness settling over him, he was scared to be between Logan and Virgil, even though he knew, and they knew too, that he was only trying to help. Logan was still almost frozen, a glazed look in his eyes as he turned lazily to watch Thomas. 

Thomas ran a hand gently over Logan’s flank, and over again. He didn’t know if Logan would appreciate petting or if he’d be annoyed or insulted by it. He just wanted to find some way to help, and to perhaps comfort and reassure a bit. 

“I’m really sorry. If I’d known what she was going to say I would’ve had her outside to talk.”

Logan didn’t respond at all. 

Thomas tried giving a rather wry smile, but it fell a bit flat. 

“If you’d come out of this stall, Virgil, it’d be easier for me to brush you,” Thomas said, turning and going back to the closet to get a curry comb. 

Virgil was standing in his own stall when Thomas came back out, and he was standing stiffly, his eyes darting around a bit, though he turned his head away to make it less obvious. Thomas wasn’t sure what was wrong, but he didn’t blame him. He felt antsy and jittery himself, and just wanted to get done and get home. 

But as he entered the stall Virgil stepped away from him. “I’m sorry. F-for earlier. I-I didn’t mean to—“

“It’s alright,” Thomas said, raising the brush. “Just stand still now and we’ll be good.”

Virgil flinched back and away, holding his arms close to his chest, a wide-eyed scared look on his face. It finally registered to Thomas that something more was wrong than just fading adrenaline. 

“Virgil, I’m tired and kinda crashing, it’s making me kind of dumb, and I’m gonna need you to communicate here with me, ok? What’s wrong?”

Virgil’s eyes flicked to the curry comb, but he didn’t say anything. A tremor started and ran over his body. 

Patton came to the rescue, leaning over the walls. 

“Virgil doesn’t like that brush.”

Thomas frowned down at the innocent curry comb. “It’s no worse than any other brush, Virgil.”

“It hurts! Especially when you’re mad or tired.” Virgil blurted out, shutting his mouth immediately after as if he’d said something bad. 

The only way this kind of brush would hurt was if it was practically slapped against…. who was Thomas kidding, with the rampant abuse, it was incredibly likely that exactly that had happened. 

“It wouldn’t hurt if it’s done properly,” Thomas promised. “Would you let me try? If it hurts you I promise I’ll go back and get your favorite one instead.”

“You promise?”

Thomas nodded firmly. “I promise.”

Virgil shook his head, a tremor running down his whole body. “Promises break.”

Thomas thought about it for a minute, and then went out and grabbed a lead rope, tying one end around his wrist. 

“Do you trust Patton? The whole time I’m brushing you he can hold the other end of this rope, and the instant it hurts you he can pull my hand back.”

Virgil looked to Patton, who seemed more than a little nervous about the idea, but still nodded and accepted the end of the rope. 

“O-ok.”

Thomas gently set the brush against Virgil’s side, waiting for the flinch and shiver to die down a little before he moved the brush at all. Virgil was all covered in sweat, and Thomas tried to move just right to get it off without moving too quickly and startling him. 

He was a little surprised, but also a little not, that by the time he’d finished one side Virgil was relaxing into it. It must feel good to finally reach through all the hair and get properly brushed, and to get really clean. 

He’d just wanted to get home a bit ago, but this was more important. It wasn’t just brushing down a centaur, it was getting Virgil to trust him, to trust brushes. It was healthy for Virgil’s coat too. And probably it was helping relax a lot of stressors for him. He needed it, far more that Thomas needed to get home. So he took his time, did it the best way, which also happened to take a long time. 

And once he was done Virgil was so relaxed his eyes were drifting shut. 

“There. You did very well, Virgil. And thank you for helping, Patton.”

Patton smiled and yawned. “You’re welcome, Thomas.”

“I’ll probably head home now. Is there anything else any of you need?”

“It’s nearly midnight,” Logan said, startling Thomas by speaking. 

“Yes?”

Logan just gave a small nod, as if that meant something to him. “Thank you.”

Thomas nodded. “You’re welcome.”

He closed stall doors and turned off all the lights but one, finally leaving. When he got home, for some reason, he didn’t go into the house, he went into the stable. Only barely awake, he dropped onto the hay next to where Emile was stretched out, laying prone. 

“Thomas?”

Thomas gave a weak grunt in acknowledgement before falling asleep. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Remy and Emile come to stay

Thomas was woken by the sound of a barn door opening, and an exasperated “ _ there  _ you are.”

He blinked, trying to sit up and figure out where he was and what was going on. He was practically cuddled up to Emile, who was also just waking up, and Remy went to stand between them and the man at the door. 

“Who are you, and what do you want here?” Remy snapped, hands on his hips. 

The man rolled his eyes, reaching into his suit pocket to pull out a thick envelope. “I’m one of the Authier’s lawyers. I was supposed to draw up and finalize an agreement with Thomas this morning, but I have to be somewhere by 10 and it’s a bit of a drive.”

Thomas stood up, looking for the clock and wincing when he saw the time. 8:43. He was supposed to be at the stable by nine. Ugh, that was the danger of sleeping away from an alarm clock. 

“Um, thank you for coming, I’m sorry I wasn’t available earlier.”

The man just looked him up and down, probably noticing every wrinkle and bit of dirt and hay. “No, I expected it. Mrs. Authier does like to hire people that ‘play the party’ so to speak. I’ve drawn up the agreement already, I just need your signature.”

“What, um, what does it all say?” Thomas asked, trying to rub his eyes with it being obvious. 

“To summarize, you may either stay in the stable or in the bunk room with the other employees, free of charge. Your centaurs will be able to stay there and eat and receive medical care free of charge as well. You will be paid double what you are now, but will be considered ‘on call’ twenty-four seven. The other eight hours of on call will pay for your housing and your centaurs. If your centaurs get registered for any kind of public engagements the prizes for those will go to the Authiers, and it will be allowed to be assumed that they are owned by the Authiers. However, you still are the legal owner, and retain full possession, provided you allow the pretense to continue. You will decide whether or not to register your centaurs in anything at your own discretion, though if you choose to do so they will have the same advantages as any of the Authiers’.”

Thomas’s mind was more than a little spinning, but it sounded relatively ok. He didn’t really want to register Remy or Emile for anything, and everything else seemed good. 

“O-ok.”

“Excellent. Sign here, and here, and here. I’ve had a key to the bunk room delivered to the stable. And also here is a card. You are allowed to use it for any discretionary purchases for the centaurs, provided you keep a record of those purchases and deliver the record to me monthly. Here is my card, the number is on the back.”

Thomas’s mind was still spinning. He just managed to nod and sign and accept. 

The lawyer smiled. “Thank you, Thomas. Please call me with any questions or problems.”

And then he left. Leaving Thomas feeling like his brain had been stuffed with cotton. 

“That… was a lot.” Emile said. 

“You’re sure he isn’t all sneaky and tricking you?” Remy asked. 

Thomas just shrugged helplessly. “I… need a shower.”

He took a quick shower and then packed a backpack as quickly as he could, rolling up a blanket and a pillow and shoving them into a pillowcase. That’d be enough for tonight, and he would have more opportunity later to get more of his things. 

“Oh, no, I have to get those things for Patton too. Ugh… I’m gonna be so late.” Thomas scrubbed a hand over his face. Well, he was trying his best. He could make it. Maybe late, but he’d make it. 

Remy and Emile had also packed up a few things, and Remy was wearing the ‘carry-saddle’ when Thomas got back. It was a cobbled-together thing, an old saddle with hooks and straps on it. Thomas was able to hang his backpack from a hook, and tie on the pillowcase bundle. 

“Do you mind if I ride, Emile?”

“Not at all,” Emile said, holding a hand down to help pull Thomas up. 

“We have to stop at the pet shop on our way, I promised Patton a rat cage and toys.”

“They have rats?” Remy asked, screwing his face up. 

“Not loose, not for much longer. I have to get a cat too. And probably cat supplies. Are you good with carrying all that?”

“Not the cat, but I can carry the rest.” 

“If the cat’s in a carrier, I don’t mind,” Emile said.

Thomas agreed readily. A carrier would be a good thing to have anyway. 

It felt strange to rush through a pet store, almost wrong, and he was a bit surprised they just let him adopt a cat when he was so frayed and hurried, but they did. He got an old, black cat that seemed calm. He didn’t want anyone to worry about a frisky little kitten darting around underfoot. 

Everything packed up, they were finally on their way. 

When they arrived, Thomas opened the door, alarmed to hear soft sniffling and Roman speaking softly but harshly. “...and that’s why you can’t  _ do  _ that!”

“Whoa, hey, can’t do what?” Thomas asked, careful to keep his tone gentle. 

Roman frowned, crossing his arms and turning slightly away. “Can’t talk. Not when it’s not safe.”

Thomas looked to see Patton rather teary, holding his arm, but not in the usual embarrassed-type pose. 

“What happened?”

“Oliver did,” Virgil said, his tone dark and bitter. 

Thomas turned to see Virgil in Logan’s stall, smushed between him and the wall.

“Ok,” Remy said, “I’m sick of this dancing around. What happened, completely, and who’s this asshole?”

“Oliver is the Authier’s… I think nephew,” Patton said quietly. “He came in earlier and was mad about Virgil being in Logan’s stall. I tried to get him to leave, but he got mad at me too.”

Patton moved his hand to show a red wheal on his arm. 

Thomas set the carrier down immediately, rushing to get the cream. 

“But then why would you fuss at him?” Remy asked sharply.

“Because he could avoid getting hurt like that if he just shut up!” Roman snapped. “And the whole thing wouldn’t have happened if everyone was following the rules!”

“Yeah, like victim-blaming is helping anything,” Remy said caustically.

“That’s not-- If they do it right it  _ does  _ help!”

“Remy, Roman, please,” Thomas said firmly. “Don’t argue.” He gently tended the mark on Patton’s arm, and the stable grew very quiet and still, only Emile coming over to be on hand to help Patton, and to subtly direct Thomas’ attention to Roman.

Once he was done Thomas turned around to Roman, who backed up a step, a sudden, but genuine fear flickering through his eyes, especially when Thomas opened his stall. Things were clicking together in Thomas’s mind, things Roman had done, had said, as well as certain behaviors he recognized as being similar to Remy a long time ago.

Thomas moved slowly, deliberately, holding out a hand to Roman.

Roman stared at his hand, eyes wide and alarmed, before finally reaching out tentatively to take it. 

“Roman,” Thomas faltered seeing the repressed flinch, but took a breath, almost sure he understood the situation. “You’re trying to protect your friends.”

Roman made no response.

“It’s worked for you before. You made sure that by following all the rules and laying low that you were safe, and you just want them to be safe too.”

There was a tiny nod, and Roman’s face pinched, the slightest glimmer of tears in his eyes. 

“You did well. I’m sure they all appreciate you trying to protect them. You did enough. They’re safe now.” Thomas echoed some of the words Roman had said to him the day before, and Roman blinked tears back, scrubbing away the one that made it past. “The things you protected them from are not right. Not ok. Not at all. I’m throwing out all those rules. You don’t need to keep them anymore.”

Roman took in a shuddering breath, looking like he was trying hard to control his emotions. 

“I’m going to be here for you all as much as I possibly can be. You don’t have to be strong for them all, you can call me and I’ll help, ok?”

Roman nodded, scrubbing at his eyes. 

“Roman?” Patton said. Emile had moved close to him, and it seemed they had talked about something. 

Roman nodded in acknowledgement that he was listening. 

“Thank you for trying to protect me. Protecting all of us.”

Roman shook with a half-sob, turning away and trying to hide his face from all of them. “Y-you’re welcome.”

“But… you… also hurt me, with the way you were doing it.” Patton said hesitantly.

A ragged sound tore out of Roman’s throat. “I-I know. A-and-- and I’m sorry. I thought-- I thought it would be better, cause I could-- I’d just fuss at you-- but the humans  _ hurt  _ you!”

Roman suddenly turned, and Thomas stepped out of his way, Emile moving Patton’s door, and Roman crashed into a hug with Patton, shoulders hitching with sobs he tried to keep quiet. “I’m so sorry, Patton. I-- I never wanted to hold you back, I just wanted you safe…”

Patton hugged back tightly. 

Thomas figured they’d appreciate a bit of privacy, at least by not having him staring, so he started unpacking things carefully and quietly. Remy also seemed a bit ashamed, and very quietly helped. 

There was a soft rustle, and Thomas saw out of the corner of his eye, since he was still trying to not stare at anyone, that Virgil and Logan were having some kind of conversation composed mostly of stares and touches. It was slightly odd. He was used to those silent conversations, when he’d seen them before, being mostly facial expressions and hand motions. He was beginning to realize that  _ something,  _ though what he had no idea, was going on that he was missing. Something with Logan. 

And then Logan spoke up, clearing his throat and drawing attention to himself. “I would assume that the two of you are Remy and Emile?”

“Yes, we are,” Emile said politely. “I think we may have arrived more suddenly than was expected.”

Logan nodded. “Indeed. We hadn’t been aware you were coming at all.”

Emile shot a look at Thomas, who raised both hands. “I didn’t really know either, I’m kinda flying by the seat of my pants here. I’m… I’m sorry if it’s uncomfortable for you guys though. I should’ve found a way to make sure it was ok first.”

Logan nodded slowly, looking like he was rolling information over and over in his mind. “I see. I don’t believe any of us would strongly object to new stable-mates.”

Virgil shook his head a little in hesitant agreement. 

Roman and Patton weren’t full hugging anymore, standing pressed against each other side-by-side, much like Logan and Virgil, though much more evenly sized. They were holding hands though, and both were trying not to look as teary as they were. 

“It’s fine,” Patton said. “I’m happy to have new friends.”

Roman just nodded, a hand covering his face as he tried to calm down. 

“I’m glad,” Thomas said, his mind whirring a bit trying to figure out where was best to put Remy and Emile so that no one would argue, but then he stopped abruptly. He was literally treating all of them like pawns in his mind right now. “Um, where do you guys think would be best for Remy and Emile to stay?”

There was a lot of looking back and forth between the centaurs. Apparently none of them had considered that yet. 

“We can stay wherever is most convenient,” Emile said. 

Gradually all the stares converged on Logan. He frowned slightly. “I believe it would be best if Remy was not near Virgil or Roman. And I think it likely that the two of you would prefer to be closer to each other. And seeing as the rat cage was intended to be mounted in the stall adjoining Patton’s, there will be less room there. It seems the best option would be if Remy was housed in the stall next to mine, and Emile next to Virgil’s.”

There were nods all around, though Remy’s was more hesitant. 

Emile tried to lessen the tension by walking into the stall suggested for him and looking around. He then looked around the rest of the barn. “You only have standing beds here.”

“That is correct,” Logan said.

Emile just nodded, looking around the stall some more. “Thomas, would you help me make a straw bed?”

Thomas nodded quickly, hoping that doing something helpful would release the tension he was feeling. “Yeah, absolutely. And I think we need to make one for Logan too. He isn’t supposed to be standing up nearly as much.”

Logan blinked. “I am curious as to how you could make a bed sufficiently comfortable for sleeping out of straw.”

“I’d love to show you,” Emile said cheerfully, smiling at Logan. 

So for the next hour or so Thomas hefted down the rectangular bales of hay, and Emile helped stack and arrange, and eventually tore a few open for a softer top layer. Finally, Thomas got out some heavy blankets to lay over the top, noting that to have enough he was using all the blankets there were in the closet. 

“This is the last one, but I can buy more. I’ve been given permission to buy whatever you guys need.” Thomas said. 

Logan looked at the bed suspiciously. It took up a good half of his stall, and Virgil had had to leave while they made it. But then slowly, carefully, he knelt and flopped to the side, and then let out a long breath with so much relief in it Thomas felt a sudden pang of guilt for not having remembered to get him more pain medicine right away. 

Thomas sat down on the floor outside of his stall. “I think the vet is coming back sometime this morning. It’s mostly just so she can prescribe medication so you can get better. And then after that, I think you all have a mostly free day. Patton has something this evening, but the afternoon is fine. So I think I’ll go shopping to get whatever you all need. I’d really like it if you mostly just laid around for the next bunch of weeks, so is there anything I can get you? Books maybe? Or craft supplies?”

Logan squinted at him suspiciously. Thomas tried not to worry, or to get defensive, but it seemed he’d gone and said something dumb or unknowingly hurtful again. 

“You are unaware that I am farsighted.” Logan said, his tone perfectly flat. 

Thomas’s eyes widened. “Yes. Yes, I was completely unaware. Patton has glasses, why wouldn’t you, if you needed them? Did they break?” He caught himself before he just rambled endlessly and shut his mouth. 

Logan just sighed. “I think you’re a good person Thomas.”

Thomas was caught entirely off guard by the sudden change of subject. “Um… thank you? I certainly try to be.”

“But you’re also  _ quite  _ unobservant.”

Thomas frowned slightly, but just nodded. 

Logan raised his voice just slightly. “And we’ve made matters worse by assuming the opposite of you in both cases.”

There was a slight acknowledging grumble from behind him. 

Thomas just nodded again, hoping to figure out where this was going. 

“I believe my glasses are somewhere amongst the paperwork,” Logan said. “And I would greatly appreciate books to read.”

Thomas nodded quickly. “Yes. I’ll see if I can find them.”

He shuffled through the paperwork until he found a pair of glasses, vaguely remembering having seen them before, and assuming they were a backup pair for Patton, as they looked almost exactly the same. 

“Are these them?” He asked, handing them to Logan. 

Logan put the glasses on, and nodded, studying Thomas’s face, and then turned to look at Remy and Emile. Then he laid back and seemed to fall asleep very quickly. 

And now all eyes were on Thomas again. He’d have to get used to this. 

“Um… I guess, let’s set up the rat cage, and then hopefully the vet will come, and if any of you want anything, let’s get it all on a list for me to go get it?”

There was a general nodding and a couple ‘thank you’s, and Thomas forced a confident smile onto his face. Maybe he didn’t have everything under control, but he was certainly about to do his best. 

  
  
  
  
  
  



	7. The Vet Helps Logan, and Some Needs are Met

It turned out that setting up the rat cage was more complicated than expected, not because it would have been difficult, but because several of the centaurs wanted to help set it up, and with all of them crowding around a comparatively small space, they got in each other’s way more than helping. 

But finally it was done, properly anchored so it wouldn’t have a chance of falling, and the four rats Patton had kept were placed inside. 

Thomas, meanwhile, had been trying to think through the chaos. There were just too many of them to be all in the stable at once unless they were each in stalls. It was crazy, and loud, and just too many bodies all squashed into whatever space they were trying to be in. 

He stood up on a bucket and raised his voice slightly. “Alright, I have a plan.”

All eyes turned to him, and he felt again that curl of fear in his stomach. He wasn’t exactly a leader, but they were all looking to him for what to do. He took in a slow breath. He may not be a good leader, but he certainly was going to be the best one he could manage with what he had.

“First I need a list of things to get at the store, and then I’m taking all of you except for Emile and Logan out to the paddock. Patton will be in charge.”

“Me?” Patton asked, his voice a surprised squeak.

But Thomas continued. “Emile and I will stay with Logan during the vet visit, and after the vet is gone we’ll make sure Logan is comfortable and preferably asleep and then we will go to the store. Once we get back, and we settle a few things, I’ll come get the rest of you for dinner.”

Remy, used to catching when Thomas had finished a thought, nodded. 

“Is everyone good with this plan, or is there anything I’m not thinking of?”

There were a few more nods. 

“I’d rather not be away from Logan that long right now,” Virgil said, worry shining in his eyes.

Thomas nodded slowly. “I understand that it would be scary for you to leave him right now, especially with how awful the vet is. But I think it’ll be better for him if it’s clear and empty in here, and she has nothing to complain about or get back at anyone for. I promise you I’ll take the very best care of Logan that I possibly can.”

Virgil looked down, nodding reluctantly. 

“Alright then, what all should I put on my list?” Thomas asked.

There was silence for a long second. 

Emile spoke up first, speaking in a matter-of-fact tone. “I’d say add quite a few blankets to the list, there’s barely enough here for horses, much less centaurs, and I’d like to be comfortable.”

All three of the awake resident centaurs turned to look at Emile, ‘you can’t say that, not like that!’ written more or less plainly on their faces. 

“Absolutely,” Thomas said immediately. He and Emile both seemed to have reached the same conclusion. Model actually good relationships between centaurs and humans, and hope it helped the other centaurs to pick it up more gently. 

Remy made that face. 

That face when he knew Thomas and Emile were up to something, and he wanted in on it, even though he didn’t understand what it was. Thomas inwardly sent up a plea for Remy not to say something stupid. 

“I want a Grande, Quad, Nonfat, No whip, One pump, Mocha!” Remy said, his tone several notches more aggressive than Emile’s had been. “From Starbucks! Not some other coffee place!”

A palpable silence fell over the stable, all the other centaurs staring at Remy with wide eyes. 

Thomas’s first reaction, though slight, was to be annoyed at Remy for messing up the impromptu example. But Remy’s face, so intently haughty, as if he would go and stamp his hooves and tantrum if Thomas protested, and everyone else looking so shocked, just somehow hit Thomas’s brain funny, and before he could stop himself a sputtering laugh had escaped. He tried to hold it in, but it just made the sputtering worse. 

Remy pouted at him. 

The dam burst, and Thomas was bent over giggling. “I’m sorry! Really I am! I just— you looked so— pfffahahaha!”

They were probably looking at him like he was the idiot now. 

But to his surprise, there was a little muffled snicker, and then giggles. 

“You did look kind of funny,” Patton said, covering his mouth to hide the giggles. “All serious and grumpy.”

“I am serious!” Remy protested, for some reason pitching it so his voice went high, which made it sound more like he was whining than any kind of actually offended. 

Thomas, who’d only barely been getting over his giggles, burst out again. 

“Thomas!” Remy protested. 

“I’m sorry!” Thomas managed between gasps for air and endless giggling. “I don’t— I don’t know why I think it’s so— so funny, really!”

Remy crossed his arms, turning away with a sassy ‘hmmph’, seeming determined to keep himself as the spectacle. 

There was a puff of stifled laughter from Roman too, and even Emile was hiding a smile behind his hand. Virgil seemed more alarmed than amused, but at least Thomas wasn’t alone. 

Finally his laughing seemed able to be controlled, and Thomas tried hard to stop. “I can— I can get you your coffee— I can’t remember-but don’t repeat it!” He started giggling again, against his will. “I’m sorry. I’ll get ahold of myself. I’ll try and get you a good one.”

Remy, thankfully satisfied, didn’t say anything or do anything that would make Thomas laugh again, just nodding. 

“Does anyone else want anything?” Thomas asked. “I’ve got books for Logan, blankets especially for Emile, coffee for Remy, and I intended to get some more clothes if I could, are there any colors or styles I should go for?” He wiped tears from the corners of his eyes, trying to take long slow breaths and not envision Remy’s ‘serious’ face. 

“Oh, you’re getting clothes too?” Patton asked. “Gee, I hadn’t thought about what I need for clothes yet.”

“Well, if I miss something this trip, I’ll always go again, and we can get new things,” Thomas promised. “It’s alright if you don’t know for sure.”

“Logan likes ties,” Virgil blurted, his mouth shutting immediately after. 

Thomas nodded, trying to look calm and agreeable, despite his red and tear stained face. “I will be sure to get him some. Is there anything you would like?”

There was a silence where Thomas was sure that there was indeed something, but Virgil wouldn’t say anything. 

“Virgil likes hoodies,” Patton said very quietly. 

Thomas nodded. “Would you like for me to get you a hoodie, Virgil?”

Virgil nodded very slightly. “If it’s like… nearby what you’re already buying, or whatever.”

Thomas nodded. “I think it’s likely to be close. Patton, Roman, do either of you want anything?”

As there was another bit of silence, Thomas realized that getting wants out of them was going to be difficult, especially with things like ‘extra’ clothes that were probably seen as some kind of ‘frivolous’. 

“What if I were to get some hair care products?” He suggested. “I’ll get plenty of hair ties, and some good shampoo and conditioner, and if you think you’d ever use a curl cream, Patton, I think it would be good for your hair. Roman, is there anything you would like?”

But Roman was just staring with wide eyes. 

On the one hand, Thomas felt a little bit good to be able to surprise them so much with good things. But on the other, larger hand, he felt terrible that they were able to be surprised by shampoo and hair ties and clothes. Such simple things, that they, especially, ought to be given plenty of. 

“What if I just guess then, and we can shift things around and ask for more by the next shopping trip?” Thomas said. “We need to get you guys out to the paddock before the vet gets here.”

There were several nods, and Thomas started handing out halters, trying not to pay attention to the subtly disgusted and unnerved looks on Remy and Emile’s faces. Remy more so, which was reasonable, since he had always disliked halters, and here he was being asked without asking to put one on for a bit. He did put it on though, which Thomas appreciated, though he agreed with Remy that he’d rather no one had to. 

It didn’t take that long to take them out and jog back, and Thomas really hoped they would get along. Remy wasn’t exactly the  _ most _ agreeable person, and without Emile there… well, Thomas just hoped Patton could manage. 

He got back to the stable and tried to clear his mind a bit. He’d been on a bit of an emotional rollercoaster this morning, actually more than a bit. It had been a  _ long,  _ hard morning. Not to fault the centaurs, not at all, but being woken up by a lawyer, rushing to stores and then work, dealing with the aftermath of a fight, and then organizing them all with a plan, not to mention that breakdown of laughter, it was a lot. 

“You know… I’d really like a day where nothing much happens,” Thomas said to Emile. “The past few days have felt almost like my mind was dropped into a blender.”

Emile nodded empathetically. “I believe the path you’re going on will get there. Hopefully soon. Though perhaps not for another few days.”

Thomas grimaced. “Yeah. It sure seems that way. I just hope I don’t end up looking like a wack job before we get there.”

“You’re under a great deal of stress right now, both physical and emotional. It would make sense for you not to be calm through all of it.”

Thomas sighed and nodded. “That’s just the second mini breakdown I’ve had in two days.”

Emile immediately looked very concerned. “Well then I certainly hope the easy day comes soon. Remy and I will be helping as much as we can.”

“Thank you.” 

And then he heard an engine rumbling to a stop. Thomas sighed heavily. “And that’s probably the vet.”

Emile patted his shoulder and then went into his stall, shutting the bottom door. 

Thomas peeked in on Logan, who still seemed sound asleep, laying on his mound of hay and blankets. He didn’t want Logan woken by the vet, and especially not woken by pain, if they tried to do any treatment without waking him first. So, despite feeling terrible about waking him up, Thomas shook his shoulder gently. 

“Logan, hey, can you wake up for me?” 

Logan’s face screwed up, and then he opened his eyes. He looked at Thomas in confusion, and then almost tried to get up, but Thomas pushed down on his shoulder gently. “Hey, no, you don’t have to get up. The vet’s here, I just wanted you to know.”

Logan nodded slowly, and then pushed his glasses up, shifting position more slowly. “Thank you for informing me.”

Thomas nodded, and then went to open the door. Dr Avery was standing there with a big heavy bag and her hand raised to open it from the outside. 

“There you are. So the Authiers really want to try with this?”

Thomas stepped outside, shut the door behind him and nodded firmly. “They do. And he’s going to pull through. I know he will.”

Dr. Avery gave him a grim smile. “You haven’t worked long with centaurs, have you?”

Thomas frowned. “A few years. Why are you so determined on this? They’re people, of course they’d want to pull through, but you act like they don’t.”

Dr. Avery’s face grew even more grim. “That’s the problem. They’re people, and no one acknowledges that. Life is a living hell for most of them. No one would want to pull through just to get abused like he has been all this time. Him in particular. You aren’t doing him the favor you think you are.”

Thomas considered. “I think we may be coming from the same place. But I think you’re wrong. Yes, their life has been terrible. But I’m working to make it  _ better _ , not to  _ kill _ them.”

“You can’t make every one of their lives better, Thomas. When you have to deal with as many as I do, you do the next best thing.”

“How is that  _ any _ level of best thing?!”

“Once a centaur is hurt like that, the only other option is watching them waste away. Or in the best, and rarest, case, heal to go through it all over again.” She pointed at the stable. “If I help heal him, and you can’t keep him out of those crazed contests it  _ will  _ happen again and it’ll happen sooner!”

“I’m not letting him go back.”

“You say that, but what about when you move on? Or get fired? Or when the Authiers decide it’s more worth it to do those contests than to hold to your word? What then? You can’t save everyone!”

Thomas pressed his lips together. “Maybe not. But right now I can help this one. And I intend to.”

Dr. Avery sighed. “Of course you do. Young. Well, let me in. I brought medicine, and I’ll show you what you need to do.”

Her brief moment of passion passed almost instantly, and by the time they went inside she was the impassive, perhaps a bit grumpy, vet again. 

She knelt by Logan, feeling his legs again. 

“Alright, here’s what I want you to do,” she said, opening her bag. “Here’s an ointment that encourages blood flow, and will help heal, put that on his legs and wrap them up tight every morning and night. If they get to hurting him, here’s a pain medication, and use a cooling ointment.  _ Keep his legs wrapped up _ . Keep him off them for at least twelve hours a day, though I’d rather sixteen. Have him walking around slowly, and absolutely do not put weight on him of any kind. Don’t let him run for a good month, and only after I check and give the ok.”

Thomas nodded at every point she made. 

“Here’s enough medicine for about two weeks. There’s topical ointments, pain medication, and this is a diet supplement.  _ Don’t  _ mix them up. I’ll come back and check in then, unless something goes wrong. You call me if that happens.”

Thomas nodded. “I will. Thank you.”

She gave him a curt nod. “Let me show you how to put on the ointment and wrap his legs properly. Watch carefully.”

Thomas carefully watched as she did two legs, and then she had him wrap the other two so she could be sure he was doing it right. 

“Well. That ought to do it. As long as you keep up with that and as long as he wants to get better, he probably will.” She looked at Logan, and then pointedly at Thomas. 

Logan was glassy-eyed, staring at the wall, his glasses slipped down his nose. Thomas frowned in concern. 

“I’ll do my best. Thank you.”

She nodded and packed her stuff up to leave. 

Thomas sat down next to Logan, setting a hand on his shoulder and rubbing small circles with his thumb. After several minutes, Logan’s gaze shifted to Thomas. 

“She’s gone now,” Thomas said quietly. 

Logan gave a small nod, and his gaze drifted back to the wall. 

“Do you want any painkillers?”

Logan shrugged slightly. 

“I’ll get you some, and then let you go back to sleep.”

Logan roused a bit more to drink the medicine and wash it down with more water. Thomas made a mental note to get a variety of drink mixes for the centaurs. 

Logan laid back, letting out a heavy sigh. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” Thomas said. “Do you want me to stay here till you sleep or would you rather some space?”

“I would prefer to be alone.”

“Alright then.” Thomas patted his shoulder gently and then got up and left the stall, closing both doors but only latching the bottom one. 

He took a few minutes in Emile’s stall, just quietly leaning against him. He wanted the day to be over. But it was still mid-afternoon. 

“We need to go shopping,” he mumbled into Emile’s side. 

Emile patted his shoulder. “If you need a few more minutes, it can wait a little bit.” 

Thomas let out a quiet groan. “Let’s just get it done and over with. Do you mind if I ride?”

“Not at all, though we might need something to carry all of the things we buy.”

Thomas nodded, adding it to the mental list. He climbed up onto Emile’s back, and they left the stable. 

Thomas got a pair of pajamas for each of them, and several other clothing items, being sure to get a tie for Logan, and a hoodie for Virgil. There weren’t that many options, especially for Logan. Thomas had wanted to get a button-up shirt, in hopes that it would sort of go with the tie, but he had to make do with a polo shirt. And he’d hoped for something in a solid color for the hoodie, but they were all strange patterns or shapes. He ended up getting one that was almost like a black-only plaid, and then he found a soft grey hoodie that had cat ears and paws on the hands, and he got that too. 

He got all the personal care items he could think of, hair care, nail care, lotion, deodorant, soap, everything. And with an unlimited credit card, he didn’t try to buy anything cheap, he got the better stuff. 

He considered the small options of books. He considered a long time, completely unsure of which ones Logan would like. 

And then he bought an iPad. 

It was infinite books!

He got a number of drink mixes, and the coffee for Remy, and some cookies for good measure. 

Thomas felt very pleased with himself. Now to get many many blankets, and see if there was any way of getting it all back to the stable. 

He ended up buying a small, two wheeled cart, figuring that they’d need to move things around sometime in the future, so it wasn’t a waste to buy. 

The hitching up of the little cart to Emile was rather more complicated than most things, but they managed it, and headed back for the estate and the stable. 

After unhitching Emile and checking on Logan, who was thankfully still asleep, Thomas went out to the paddock to get the others. 

Virgil was waiting by the fence. “Is Logan ok?”

Thomas nodded. “Yes, he’s fine. The vet looked him over again, and gave me medicine, and it looks like he’ll be getting better.”

Virgil sighed in relief. “Can we go back now?”

“I was coming to bring you guys back. Logan’s asleep though, you’ll have to be a bit quiet going in.”

“We can do that.”

And then Thomas was hit with a moment of question. The other centaurs were far down the field, and hadn’t noticed his arrival. Remy and Emile had agreed that his best bet was to whistle loudly when they were far off. But the other centaurs didn’t know that, they wouldn’t recognize it, or even worse, they might, and it might mean something different to them. And either way, it would probably startle Virgil for Thomas to suddenly whistle that loud. 

“I can go get the others,” Virgil said, shifting in place impatiently. 

Thomas inwardly sighed with relief. “That’d be really nice, thank you.”

Virgil reared up and spun around, racing off at an incredible speed. Thomas was struck by how beautifully he ran. He was glad Virgil trusted him enough to be calm for things like halters that let him come out here, and he made a new inner commitment to bring the centaurs out as often as possible. 

And now that he was thinking about it, Roman and Virgil seemed to have some kind of skill rivalry, put on hold by Virgil’s being… Thomas shoved aside that image of Virgil all tied up like he had been. What was important was that Virgil was getting out now. He could run, and compete with Roman, and walk with Logan, and roll with Patton all he liked now. 

Soon Patton was trotting up, followed by a slower Remy, and then Roman and Virgil both racing back from the farthest end of the paddock. 

Thomas picked up the halters from where they were laying over the gate and held them out. “Roman, Virgil, while you’re putting them on I want you to walk around. Getting leg cramps yourself would be no fun.”

Roman let out a kind of joking groan. “Sure thing ‘coach’.”

Virgil though looked startled, standing stock still, and then briskly walking in a tight circle. “Like this?”

Thomas smiled lightly. “You’re fine, Virgil, that’ll help. After a run like that you need a bit of cool down instead of just stopping.”

Roman snorted, which turned Virgil’s nervousness into an annoyed glare directed at Roman. 

Remy and Patton quickly put the halters on, and Roman and Virgil took a bit longer, but also got them on. 

Thomas led them back to the barn, but was hit even more now by the sheer wrongness of holding ropes attached to people. Even if they were more or less ok with it, it wasn’t just freely given. Emile didn’t mind being hitched that little cart he had bought because Emile didn’t mind pulling it. Now they  _ had  _ to put on the halters, whether any of them wanted to or not, because there might be prying eyes and trouble if they didn’t. 

In addition to all his other inward promises, Thomas added ‘talk to the other workers here and convince them I’m a centaur whisperer and that I can handle centaurs without halters’. 

They seemed fine to take off the halters and go into their stalls on their own, so Thomas started making dinner. He made sure to add the supplement into Logan’s, and made sure it was a good big dinner. He may not have been moving around during the day, but his body would need the extra help to heal. He went ahead and made them drinks with the mixes, except for Remy, who got his coffee, and gave each of the centaurs a cookie. 

“Roman, would you wake Logan up?” Thomas asked. 

Roman looked up suddenly. “Me? I could, but… shouldn’t he be getting all the sleep he can?”

“Yes, but he also needs to eat well, and this is medicated food too. He’ll need it to get better.”

“Oh. Yes. I’ll wake him up.” Roman went into Logan’s stall, kneeling and softly waking him up. 

Thomas handed out all the dinners, Logan’s last, to give him a bit more of a chance to properly wake up. He gave Logan’s directly to him, so he wouldn’t try to stand up. 

“Don’t forget to feed the cat, Thomas,” Emile said. 

Thomas blinked. He’d forgotten about the cat  _ entirely _ . Where was it even? 

“Here she is,” Virgil offered, seeing Thomas looking blindly around the stable. 

She was curled up in the back of Virgil’s stall, in a little blanket nest that a cat was not capable of making. Thomas hid his smile. 

“Let me get her some dinner then.”

The cat ran out to Thomas as soon as the can was opened, quickly eating. 

Thomas stood up and put his hands on his hips. 

“I think that’s almost… oh. We bought stuff! Let me hand this all out. Or actually, you guys don’t have much storage. Whatever you want to use now I’ll hand out, and then the rest gets put away, but any time you want to use it you can. You don’t need to ask or anything, just grab what you need.”

Thomas went outside to where the cart was still sitting, and grabbed first the stack on blankets that was on top of everything. 

“Alright. Anyone else want a hay bed? Or more blankets? There’s plenty.”

Patton wanted to try a hay bed, and Emile helped Thomas and Patton to make it. Virgil got an extra blanket, Roman got a smaller one he could wrap around his shoulders like a cape, and Logan had several draped over him. Which reminded Thomas that he had to rewrap Logan’s legs with more medicine. 

After that he handed out pajamas, and then showed them the hoodies and the tie and polo shirt, and all the other care items. They certainly seemed happy about it, but Thomas was getting rather tired and fuzzy-minded, too much to register individual reactions. 

“I think…” he said slowly, after all the presents were handed out. “I’ll make myself a hay bed in one of the empty stalls, and I’ll stay here tonight. I don’t know where the bunk rooms are, and don’t really want to wander in the dark. Plus this way I can help if Logan needs anything.”

“You could stay next to me!” Patton offered. 

Thomas nodded and went back up to the attic, dropping down some more hay bales. He barely bothered spreading them out, and then dropped a blanket over them, wrapping himself in another blanket and plopping into the pile. 

“Make sure you wake me up if you need me,” he mumbled, dropping off to sleep almost immediately. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> So I set this up for if I want to write a sequel, but who knows when the muse will strike again?  
> ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Note: that was the first chapter note. And now... there’s 20k words and only like three days of in-story time. XD I will certainly be continuing to write more!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [The Other Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26588878) by [PersoMena](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PersoMena/pseuds/PersoMena)




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